The Collection: A Heart of the Oni Anthology
by Princess Keda
Summary: This is a collection of Heart of the Oni prequel stories. Discover what really happened centuries ago when the First Spinjitsu Master came into being. Delve into the childhoods of the ninja and Keyda. Many of these are stand alone tales, but we suggest reading Heart of the Oni first for the best experience. Rated T for one violent scene.
1. Echo and Antirock Part 1

_Preface_

Hello again! Once upon a time I wrote a fanfiction because my cousin challenged me to. Heart of the Oni was a really fun project, and after I finished it I realized I didn't really want to be done writing yet. So I wrote some short stories that delve deeper into the backgrounds of characters. The largest of these is the story of Echo and Antirock. I also went into Keyda's past. These stories will obviously make the most sense if you've already read Heart of the Oni. But I also wrote my own little head-canon background scenes for Cole, Jay, Zane, and Kai…and while there's a few HOTO tie-ins they are mainly based in the original series.

I hope that you enjoy my little collection of short stories, and I hope you'll let me know what you think!

Thank you for reading!

-NP

* * *

 _Echo_ _and_ _Antirock_

1

Her breath came out in silent huffs as she pressed her back against the rock. It was a hot day; the rock burned against her bare shoulders and her grip on the spear was slippery with sweat. But she didn't worry too much about that. She checked the breeze once again to ensure that she was still downwind of the dragon; she was. Easing from her position behind the rock, she held her spear at the ready as she approached. Though she had proven herself in many tests of strategy and skill, the individual take down of a Dragon was the ultimate achievement among the Oni. Up ahead she could make out the swishing of a pale golden tail; this was unlike others she had seen over the years. This one would be quite the catch.

She realized how annoyed Kahzym would be if he knew she was hunting this big of prey on her own. She shook away the thought. She could handle it…she could hardly be on the council of war having never killed a dragon on her own. The tail pulled away, disappearing behind the larger rocks and boulders. She froze, wondering if the Dragon had somehow sensed her, but when no attack was launched she decided against it. She came closer, her body now pressed up against the large formation that was blocking her view of the whole dragon. The element of surprise would be on her side, but she would still have to move quickly…

There was a golden glow that suddenly began beaming from around the rock. She blinked in surprise. After a few moments, she risked a peek around the rock.

The Dragon had a very long body, and no wings. Despite that he seemed to be weaving his way through the air. Her heart lurched; this was one of the Elder race.

The golden glow continued to emanate off the Dragon's body as it created lazy circles in midair, and the ground below him glowed. After a few transfixing minutes, the glow radiating from the dirt became extremely bright before fading away, revealing a patch of bright red poppies. Echo lowered her spear in amazement. Dragons held the power of creation, which was evident in the elemental powers that many of them possessed. But _this?_ This was the creation of life itself…

There was flicker of movement in the dragon, the barest hint that something wasn't quite right. She looked up suddenly and realized that it was staring straight at her. There was a second of silence, and then the Dragon attacked. She cursed as she dodged back behind the boulder, but its winding, wingless body was incredibly fast. It slammed in the rock where she had been standing, which exploded around her as she ran.

How could she have been so _stupid?_ She had given up the element of surprise….no. She shook her head, irritated. Her true problem was continuing the hunt after knowing _what_ kind of dragon it was. She squeezed into a slot canyon, and the Dragon lashed out with a large forearm. One of his claws raked her bare arm and she cried out as it drew blood. The gash wasn't too deep….she would live. She continued to run.

* * *

Antirock stared at the poppies with pride. This realm held so much potential…together he knew the dragons could make it so _beautiful_. But Jarule didn't really care about aesthetics…no, Antirock's brother was much more interested in destroying the Oni.

A glimmer of light flashed and Antirock glanced over to see sunlight glinting off a spear. His calm nature evaporated as he snarled. An Oni…staring at his poppies with the strangest look on her face.

She glanced up and met his eye, and Antirock knew it'd be a race for the kill. He wasn't too worried; this Oni had come alone, and he absolutely dwarfed her in size. He charged.

She managed to escape his initial charge and slipped into a small opening between two rock walls. He lashed out but barely managed to hit her at all. He opened his mouth and blasted golden power down the skinny canyon, but she had already thrown out a blast of her own that punched a hole into one of the walls, allowing her to escape. He turned his head, tracking her flight across the parched field. She had abandoned her spear…no doubt she had realized now that she was no match for him. Now she was just trying to escape with her life.

He whipped after her, and she turned briefly to unleash a large blast of hatred back at him. He skirted around the attack and fired another of his own. This one hit near where she was running, the impact throwing her sideways. She rolled as she landed, but another blast hit her in the back and threw her forward. His forearm came down before she had a chance to recover, pinning her face-down into the dirt with his clawed foot. He could feel her struggling, but there was nothing more she could do. She wasn't strong enough to escape, and it was impossible for her to throw an attack backwards. It would be an easy kill.

He hesitated, trying to decide how best to do it…he wasn't a fan of gruesome deaths. Suddenly, something caught his eye; something tied into the bottom of the Oni's long thick braid. He cocked his head as he moved closer for a better look. It looked like…a dried red poppy. He blinked in surprise. What on earth would an Oni want with a beautiful flower? He had been making patches all over the realm, but he assumed that any Oni that came across them would destroy them without a second thought.

"Just _kill_ me already!" The Oni screamed from her down-facing position. "What are you waiting for?!"

For some reason, Antirock's desire to kill her had diminished, leaving him at a loss of what to do. He could just let her go…but he could only imagine the reactions if word got back to the other dragons. _Especially_ his brother. He clamped his claws around the Oni's small form, pinning her arms to her side. He brought her up to look at him, and she glared with flaming purple eyes.

"What the heck do you want?!" she spat.

 _Where did you get that?_

She blinked at the sound of his voice, her anger fading to confusion. He knew that few Oni had ever heard the sound of a dragon's voice, despite the hundreds they had silenced over the years. But as a member of the leading race, his language could be interpreted by all.

 _The poppy. In your hair._

She shook off her surprise and continued her glare.

"Why?"

He clenched his foot and she grunted as his grip became tighter, putting pressure on her injured arm.

"I found it." she finally said.

 _Why keep it?_

She had looked away. At his question she smiled bitterly and scoffed.

"Because…it was beautiful."

He was almost angry at her reply. _What would an Oni know of beauty? You know only destruction and Hatred…_

"You dragons are all the same." she snapped back. "You think that just because you hold the power of creation, you hold some sort of monopoly over beauty, or affection?"

He shook his head, baffled. It was the first conversation he had ever had with an Oni, and he was realizing that besides being horrible monsters of destruction, the Oni were also quite insane.

"Our power derives from chaos, and yours from peace…but that doesn't mean that we can't appreciate the _beauty_ in the world." she suddenly looked around the landscape. "Not that there is much beauty left in this one…"

She was confusing him, but he knew now he couldn't kill her. He couldn't quite let her go, either….but bringing her back home with him was also not an option. What to do?

"Are you just going to keep toying with me, or are you actually going to kill me?"

Her tone was still bitter, but she had relaxed somewhat, as if finally resigned to her fate. He just stared at her, trying to come up with a solution. As the silence stretched longer the Oni turned towards where she had first caught him using his powers.

"How did you do it?" she finally asked. He blinked in surprise.

 _Do what?_

"The poppies. You… created life in a barren environment…"

Antirock was quiet, thinking.

 _The leading race can control the Golden Power…and the Golden power is made of the elements…and the elements create._

It sounded like he was reciting an age-old lesson…because he was. He didn't really know exactly how his powers worked, but he knew what others had told him about them. The Oni looked back at him, her eyes fading from their purple color into a deep maroon.

"Are you the one creating all the poppy fields, then?"

He didn't answer, and she pressed more.

"They weren't around a few weeks ago, but they are now. Why are you doing that?"

Antirock frowned, self-conscious. His own brother hadn't noticed his work, but this Oni had?

 _Because I wanted to._

Echo couldn't help but laugh at his defensive response. He was the one holding _her_ a breath away from death; he had all the control, but he was going to get defensive about a question? What on earth did he have to be defensive about?

The Dragon looked confused at her laugh, as if he couldn't figure out what had initiated it. The more she looked at him, the more she realized that he wasn't all that old. As far as Dragons went, he was quite young.

She shook her head at his confused expression.

"Never heard a laugh before?" she taunted.

 _Not from an Oni._

She couldn't get over the fact that she was hearing a dragon speak. She had known Dragons had their own language, but she had never imagined their voices to sound like this. It was like he was speaking directly in her mind, but she could feel it rumbling within her as well. It was an almost golden sound…and she didn't hate it nearly as much as she probably ought to.

It was odd. She had never thought to get to know a Dragon…they were the enemy. They had killed thousands of her people over the years in this horrible war…a war she just wanted to be over. But as she stared at this strange beast who could actually _talk_ with her, she felt an insatiable curiosity bubble up inside.

"You aren't going to kill me, then." she finally said, matter-of-factly. He glared a bit at her, but eventually shook his head no.

"Good. I have so many questions."

* * *

"What kind of name is Antirock?"

Anitrock lifted his head to give her a withering look. She was splayed out in one of his poppy fields, and he had wound himself around the field so that anyone passing by wouldn't notice that he was spending time with this Oni without killing her. She was looking back at him, eyebrows raised in an almost playful manner. Who was this strange creature?

 _It's an honorable name._ He said stiffly. She snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 _It has deep meaning in the dragon tongue; basically, it means 'firm loyalty.'_

"Alright, then, Mr. Loyalty." She said with a smirk. "Do all dragon's names have meaning in the common tongue?

He had never thought about it. He was silent for a few minutes, thinking.

 _Not all dragons even have names…but those of the Elder Race always do. My brother, Jarule, recently became the Elder dragon…_

She frowned at the mention of his brother.

"What does his name mean?" she asked softly.

 _Righteousness._

She scoffed again, but this time it was more bitter than playful.

 _And what do they call you? Freak? Outcast?_

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny. I'll have you know that I am quite accepted in my world; it's only you who thinks I'm a freak. In fact, I recently was accepted onto the war council."

She must have felt him stiffen, because she winced.

"I haven't even been to a single meeting, though." she said quickly, as if that changed everything. "As for what they call me, my name is Echo."

He wanted to make fun of it, as she had his name. But he found that he kind of liked it.

He shook his head, frustrated. He wasn't even supposed to be here! Let alone conversing with an _Oni…_ who was part of the _war council._

 _I have spent too long here. We should have never talked in the first place._

She looked over at him.

"Yes…I suppose you're right. Kahzym would have my _head_ if he knew…" she took in his confused look. "Our leader. Kahzym Oerall the Third. As long as we're talking names, _there's_ a pretentious one."

He couldn't help but smile. He stretched and shook himself off, weaving back into the air. She stood as well, but not before adding a fresh poppy to the end of her braid.

"So Mr. Loyalty, when are we meeting next? I still have more questions."

He glared down at her. Next? It was bad enough that this had happened once! But as he looked at her—horns, glowing maroon eyes, and poppied braid—he realized with a surprise that he wanted to.

 _Daylight is too risky_ he found himself saying. _Meet here, next half moon…._

She nodded and had run off before he could change his mind.

* * *

The camp moved every couple days; that coupled with the Oni-magic-meshed poles surrounding it made the Oni war camp a hard target for the Dragons to attack.

Echo hurried back into camp, using her own purple aura to allow her entry back into it. She was headed to her own tent when someone called out to her.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the meeting?"

She froze, realizing that the meeting must have been moved up…which meant she was late for her first council of war. She turned quickly and made her way to the council tent. The guards gave her a nod and opened the tent flap and she ducked in, slightly flushed.

Kahzym was with the other leaders, leaning over a large map on the table. His eyes flashed as he watched her come in. She slipped into an empty place, her face calm and unembarrassed. The leader stared at her for a moment longer, but then his gaze dropped back to the map as he continued.

"We are seeing more movement in the southern regions as well…" He turned to the man next to him. "Anything to report on our stance in those areas?

The man stroked a long beard. "We see most destruction aimed at those communities that don't have as much magic protection…such as farming villages. But we have also been able to locate a large Dragon camp. With the proper plan, we could take it out…"

"Why don't we just go in blasting?" Another leader yelled. He was from the eastern province and was well known for his "fight now, plan later" approaches.

"Too many dragons, Virgil." The southern leader protested. "We may be able to take out many of them, but we would suffer far too many losses on our end.

Echo listened intently, but even though she had been looking forward to these meetings and their thrilling strategy planning, she felt distant today. She didn't notice Kahzym's eyes on her as she fiddled with the poppy at the end of her braid.

After another hour of argument Kahzym finally put a hand to his temple and told them all to get out.

"We are getting nowhere…I will consult with my advisors and we will reconvene tomorrow."

The Leaders nodded their agreement; it was late and everyone was tired. The Oni cleared the tent and Echo went to follow.

"Not you, Echo."

She stopped dead, sighing internally before turning and walking back towards him. The Leader watched her approach, still leaning over the table in front of him. His long black hair was braided in dozens of tiny braids, all of which were held together at the nape of his neck by a silver band. He raised an eyebrow as she approached, his deep ebony eyes flashing.

"You've been hunting on your own."

She shrugged, not confirming or denying. She was wondering how he had known when he turned her arm to get a better look at the long, jagged gash. She realized that she had forgotten all about it…it had crusted over because she hadn't taken the time to clean and treat it. After a minute he dropped her arm, looking at her with the same serious expression he always wore.

"You hardly spoke a word this entire meeting. We could have used your input."

"I'm sorry, Kahzym." She said simply. She didn't feel like offering excuses.

"I wanted you on this council because of your ability to think of unorthodox answers. The war is getting increasingly volatile…we can't just use the same five strategies anymore." He glanced down at the red flower in her braid.

"I understand…I will think about what we can do about that dragon camp…" she replied, frowning as he eased the poppy from her hair.

"I expect you to have come up with a few possibilities by tomorrow." He examined the flower and then looked back at her, as if asking for an explanation. She didn't feel like giving one.

"I said I would think about it, Kahzym."

He searched her face for a few moments longer and then looked back down at his map.

"Do not be late again."

She took this to mean that she was allowed to leave. She bowed her head respectfully and then disappeared out into the night.

* * *

Echo waited in the poppies, looking up at the half-moon. It had been a week since she had met the dragon, and she found it incredibly hard to be patient as she waited for him to turn up. There was something thrilling about all of this…something she couldn't quite describe. She knew how the other Oni would react…but rather than frighten her the prospect made it all the more exhilarating.

She tried not to think about the war council that she would be expected to attend in the next few days. She had been making more of an effort in those she had attended in the past week, but none of them could come to agreement of what to do. She shook the arguments from her thoughts,

Where was he? She knew deep down that it was probably foolish to think the Dragon would show up. Realistically he would show up with an army and force her to let them into the Oni camp. Or perhaps he had already erased their conversation from his mind.

She heard a whisper of something and a watched a shadow flit across the half-moon. She smiled as she caught the pale-golden figure weaving his way towards the field. He looked almost white in the moonlight.

"I didn't think you would show." She said honestly as he landed. He looked irritated.

 _I almost didn't_

She smirked, arms folded. "That would have been rude…it was _your_ idea to meet here tonight."

She stood and stretched, and Antirock rolled his eyes.

"What have you been up to? Making more flower fields?"

 _My brother has kept me busy…I haven't had the time._

"Pity." She came closer. "They do make this horrible realm seem a little less awful. Flowers don't grow much on their own here, you know."

The Dragon seemed a little uncomfortable, as if he was arguing with himself silently. He finally turned to her.

 _You said you had more questions…_

His tone made it clear he wanted to answer them so he could leave. She shrugged.

"I guess. Do _you_ have any questions?"

He snorted. _What questions would I have for an Oni?_

She shook her head. "I don't know. Do you have many conversations with Oni? Already know everything about us?"

 _No…you'd be the first._ He paused for a moment before continuing. A _nd I already know everything I need to._

She rolled her eyes. "…I'm sure…"

 _Do you have questions or not?_

She walked past him, staring up at the moon as she continued to stretch. He noticed that there was a long, jagged line on her arm; her wound from the week earlier was healing.

She didn't turn to him as she asked her question.

"What's it like to fly?"

He cocked his head.

 _What?_

She turned, and it was hard to see her expression with the moonlight behind her.

"Since you know _so much about us…_ I'm sure you're aware that Oni can't fly. But I've always wondered…what's it like?"

Antirock stared at her. Of course he knew that Oni couldn't fly…but it never occurred to him that they would wonder what it was like. He felt something like pity as he realized that the monsters had never experienced the rush and freedom that came from souring through the wind and stars.

 _It's brilliant_

She laughed. "I figured as much. When I was younger, I'd dream of flight. It was just so…freeing."

Once again, the Dragon found himself wondering at this strange Oni in front of him. Did all Oni possess these sentiments? Or was she as different as he assumed? He had never thought that Oni could possess any feeling outside of Hatred and Manipulation….but here was this curious woman who cared about flowers and flight.

He didn't know what came over him, but he moved suddenly, whipping towards her. She fell backwards in surprise, but he had closed a clawed foot around her before she could hit the ground.

" _What…"_

Her words were whisked away as he bolted into the air.

Echo gasped as the wind whipped around her. For a moment, she thought that the dragon had finally decided to kill her. After a few minutes, however, Antirock slowed, weaving through the air miles from the landscape below. She looked down, eyes wide.

They flew around in silence. She couldn't believe how different everything looked from so high She reached out a hand and marveled at how the wind felt as it rushed through her fingers at the high speed they were traveling.

"It's beautiful." She finally said. Antirock smiled.

* * *

Jarule clicked his claws on the rock, impatiently. Over the past month, his younger brother had disappeared more and more, and no one seemed to know where he was going. He caught sight of something making its way towards the Elder rock and sighed angrily.

 _And what time do you call this?_ Jarule asked as his brother approached.

Antirock landed. _Jarule. Well met…it feels like we haven't seen each other for a while…_

 _Indeed. Where on earth have you been?_

Antirock didn't seem bothered by his brother's tone.

 _I've just been checking the realm…seeing what's new, adding bits of beauty…_

Jarule snorted. _Yes…your little flower patches…_

 _Do you not approve?_

Jarule shook his head, facing his brother. They had always looked similar, though Antirock was a paler gold and much smaller than his brother.

 _It's a waste of power…considering how much we must fight for…_

Antirock didn't answer and Jarule sighed.

 _It isn't that I don't approve…it's just that now is not the time. Your head is in the clouds and you aren't paying attention to the danger in the moment. The Oni have been converging, planning bigger attacks and uniting the corners of their nation… it isn't safe for any to travel alone anymore._

Antirock looked away. _I am sorry Jarule. I didn't know this meant so much to you._

Jarule shook his head, annoyed. _Of course it matters….you are my brother, Antirock. I don't want anything to happen to you._

Antirock smiled, putting his brother at ease.

 _What could happen?_


	2. Echo and Antirock Part 2

Nicki's Story

 _Part 2_

Echo tried to get up the courage to release her grip on the feathery Dragon-hair, her eyes watering as they raced through the night sky. They went flying at least once a week…but this was the first time that Antirock had allowed her to ride on his back. She closed her eyes, taking a breath before she let go, spreading her arms out.

It proved to be a mistake; she nearly went tumbling off the back. Antirock came to a sudden stop, which lurched her forward and she nearly toppled off the front.

 _What are you doing?!_

Her arms were wrapped in the hair that tumbled down the pale-golden dragon's back as she clung for dear life, trembling hard.

"I…I was just…"

 _Being stupid. If you're going to ride back there, at least be smart enough to hold on._

She tried to come up with a snarky comeback, but her mind was still frozen in that near-death-shock. As it faded away she managed to push herself back up.

"Fine…fine….I'm _holding on_."

She could imagine him rolling his eyes as he started moving once again. She was angry for a few minutes, her pride hurt, and scanned the landscape below as they flew in silence. The barren scape seemed to stretch on forever. Sure, there were trees and plants, but they looked so pathetic. She shook her head; besides Antirock's poppies, the plant life in the realm looked neglected.

"Do you ever wonder what the realm could be like, if we weren't all focused on this stupid war?"

Antirock was silent, thinking.

 _The war could have ended long ago, if the Oni had only…_

She stiffened. "Only _what?_ Allowed ourselves to be slaughtered? We fight in an effort to _live…_ "

 _You fight in an effort to_ destroy.

"We don't like dragons, that's right enough, but it would be easier to cease fighting if we weren't being hunted into extinction…"

 _You're one to speak of hunting!_ The Dragon was getting angry as well. _Is that not what you were doing, that first day?!_

She didn't reply, fuming. Finally, she sighed, irritated.

"It doesn't matter which group is at fault….the point is, as long as the two nations are at odds, we are _never_ going to be free of this horrible war."

 _Knowing the Oni, the two nations will_ never _be 'not at odds'…._

She stiffened again. "Let me off…" she said, her tone suddenly distant.

He frowned, thinking she was being defensive.

 _I…_

"Let me off _now!"_ she said, her tone suddenly urgent.

Antirock obliged. As they grew closer to the ground, he realized what it was that had caught her eye.

Echo dismounted clumsily, headed to the smoking ruins. Antirock kept back….he could guess at what had happened.

It was a farming village. Huts and fences continued to smoke as Echo picked her way through the rubble, looking for survivors. After ten fruitless minutes, Echo collapsed to her knees outside a charred hut. That's where Antirock found her a few minutes later.

"They were just farmers….they had no way to defend themselves…" she shook her head, disgusted. "They were _slaughtered…"_

Antirock said nothing. He could tell that the damage done was dragon-made…but why would Jarule attack a farming community? Where was the honor in that?

He noticed that Echo had stood and had begun to glow purple. Antirock tensed, thinking she was going to attack and take out her grief on him. He backed up as the aura swirled around her.

 _What are you going to do?_ He asked, warily.

Her tone was surprisingly calm as she replied.

"I'm going to destroy it…."

He didn't know what she meant…so he took to the air. Perhaps he should have just left…but he couldn't help but watch in fascination at what happened next.

The purple storm grew larger, until it suddenly burst out from the figure in the center of it. It ripped across the terrain, and the corpses and smoking remains dissolved into the purple fire. In less than a minute, the entire ruined community had been reduced to black dust that blew across the landscape. Echo fell to her knees, exhausted. Antirock waited a few moments longer before flying down and landing near her.

 _Why…why did you do that?_

Her eyes were closed as she answered.

"It's what we do; Destruction is a necessary part of the cycle of life. I destroyed this tortured husk so something new could come in its place."

Antirock was silent for a few minutes as Echo sat in the sifting dust, trying to get her strength back. He closed his eyes and began to glow.

She opened her eyes to see what was going on. The black dust swirled around in the golden light, and as she watched the glow became brighter. A few moments later, a field of red poppies sprang up in the place where the community used to be.

 _To honor them_ he said simply. She smiled at him, eyes glinting with tears.

* * *

The Elemental Guardians looked up as Antirock landed.

 _Where is my brother?_

They blinked at his angry tone.

 _I am here, Antirock. What troubles you?_

Jarule landed amongst the Guardians he had gathered to council. Antirock fixed the Elder Dragon with a stare.

 _You destroyed a farming community…why? The Oni there could not even defend themselves…_

 _Which is what makes them so easy to get rid of._

Antirock snarled and his brother blinked in confusion.

 _Any death in the Oni realm is one worth celebrating brother…it matters not if they can fight back. Besides, by taking out their way of growing food, many will starve, and their numbers will dwindle…_

 _What are you trying to accomplish?_ Antirock spat. _There is a difference between winning a war and wiping out a species…_

Jarule's expression hardened.

 _Not in this war. Antirock, these sentiments of yours trouble me immensely. Why do you care so much what happens to these monsters?_

Antirock looked away. There was no way he could tell his older brother the truth.

 _It just doesn't seem right to kill those who cannot protect themselves._

Jarule sighed. _Brother, I understand that it seems cruel…but the Oni are demons. They are scum upon this realm, and there will be no peace until we are rid of them completely. That means every one of them…warrior, farmer, child… this is the battle that has been waged since the dawn of this realm, and I will not rest until I see the end of the Oni._

Antirock said nothing, but suddenly it seemed like perhaps the war wasn't as Oni-driven as he had always believed. Jarule shook his head, irritated and confused.

 _You have not been yourself lately. Go home and get some rest._

The pale-golden dragon disappeared into the night before the Elder was able to say anything more.

* * *

Echo was still exhausted as she pushed herself into the council tent. The other leaders looked up as she approached.

"Eh, lass…what happened to you?" Virgil asked. She swallowed, recalling the memory from earlier that night.

"I came across a decimated farming village earlier…so I returned it to the earth."

They nodded in understanding.

"Those dragons…they have been targeting the weak villages, trying to cripple us." the bearded southern leader said in disgust. "We need something that will deal a heavy blow…"

"We have it." Kahzym cut in. He turned and nodded to a servant while the other leaders leaned in, eager to hear their Ruler's plan. Echo drew nearer as well as the servant deposited a bag on the table and handed a pair of gloves to Kahzym. He pulled them on, and eased a plant out of the bag.

The other Oni leaders drew a quick breath when they caught sight of it.

"Is that…" Virgil started.

"Tuatyeh root." Kahzym confirmed.

Echo's eyes widened and she grasped the table's edge for support.

"We _can't_ use that…" she said vehemently. The other leaders turned to her in surprise.

"Where did you even get it?" One of the other leaders spoke, this one from the northern provinces. "I thought we wiped out that poisonous weed long ago."

"We did…but a small patch was recently rediscovered." Kahzym explained. "It was found just in time…with the poison of this plant we can land a heavy blow to the dragons…"

"And a heavier blow to our own." Echo hissed. Everyone turned to her once again as she continued. "This plant was destroyed for a reason…it has a critical effect on dragons, sure, but it is incurably deadly among our people. If we expose the dragons to it, they may then utilize it for their own warfare." she slammed a fist on the table. "Our records show that the death administered by this plant is agonizing and to use it would be monstrous."

The council was silent after her passionate response, and Kahzym finally placed the plant back into the bag.

"Does anyone else have a problem with this plan?"

No one else voiced any doubt, and Kahzym handed the bag back to his servant, along with the gloves.

"I would like to speak to Echo alone."

The leaders looked at one another and made eye contact before they all turned and left the tent. Echo's arms were folded defiantly as she was left alone with her ruler.

"Where is this stemming from?" he finally asked.

"I told you…this would pose a greater threat to _us…"_

"Not just this opinion." He came and stood directly in front of her, analyzing her closely. "You have been so distant at all of our meetings. Your plans and suggestions skirt around actually doing great harm to those we fight against. What is the cause of this…this sudden hesitation?"

She clenched her jaw and looked up at him.

"Did you ever think there may be other ways to end this war? Besides…besides annihilating the enemy?"

He shook his head.

"That is the only path for us. The Dragons will never stop in their effort to wipe out our existence. Besides… we are Oni; destruction is our nature."

"But destruction is nothing without _affection_ …"

"Do _not_ lecture me on affection…I know very well of its importance." Kahzym snapped. She narrowed her eyes, but Kahzym's expression softened unexpectedly. He reached out a hand and touched her face, and her eyes widened in surprise. What was he doing?

He searched her face for recognition.

"You know, Echo…you _must_ know…" he said softly, and she felt a spike of panic as the meaning of his words hit home. She backed away, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Kahzym…I…" she swallowed and looked away. At her reaction, he dropped his hand and his expression hardened as he changed subjects.

"If you are to stay on this council, I must know you are dedicated to its purposes and goals," he said coldly. "Until I know that, you are suspended from these meetings. Our purpose is to destroy the dragons once and for all…and _nothing_ will change that, Echo." He turned and sauntered from the tent, leaving her alone. She shuddered, shaking her head. Things had become too complicated…and she was beginning to doubt her ability to find a way through it all.

* * *

Antirock watched as Echo lazily braided her hair. He was curled up on top of a large plateau and she was leaning up against him.

 _We could work together to protect our own._ He finally offered. _With my connections to my brother and yours on the war council, we could warn each other…_

"Frustrating their plans will hardly create lasting peace." Echo said. Her voice was duller than normal and Antirock wondered what was wrong with the normally lively Oni. "Besides…I'm not even _on_ the war council anymore."

 _What happened?_

Here she turned to give him a wry smile. "I wasn't bloodthirsty enough. I don't mind much…" her voice trailed off as she finished off the end of her braid. She sighed, putting her hands behind her head as she leaned back. She looked troubled and Antirock couldn't help but smack her with the end of his feathery tail. She snorted as some of it went up her nose, and she shoved the tail away as she glared with a smile.

 _Then what can we do? Fighting and killing….it's doing nothing for either side. We know now that creation and destruction can live in harmony, but how do we get others to see it?_

Echo didn't answer, as she stared off into the distance, thinking.

"We couldn't just tell them." she finally said. "I mean…we've both _tried_ that. We'd have to show them."

 _Show them how?_

She stood up, stretching. "I don't know! But until we do, the two sides are just going to keep killing each other till one or both sides are gone or crippled." Her eyes flashed. "I'm ready for a change…for there to actually be _real_ peace in this realm."

Antirock looked down at the landscape that stretched out. The sun had started to rise…they would have to leave soon. As the light crossed the dry and malnourished landscape, he felt a pang. This realm could have so much potential…so much _beauty._ But without peace such a dream could never be accomplished. He looked back over at Echo. Her legs were dangling off the edge of the plateau as she watched the sun rise. Antirock moved his head up next to her, and she leaned against it.

The idea hit suddenly, and Antirock blinked. It was crazy, foolhardy….dangerous, even. That's why he knew she would love it.

 _What if we could_ create _the change?_

She was tracing one of the patterns on his pale-gold scales with a finger. "How?"

 _Meet me here tomorrow night_

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Echo's hesitant tone didn't match the excited spark in her eye.

 _No…but…if it works, perhaps we could finally have something to create peace._

She smiled at that from the other side of the plateau.

"We have to be the first creatures _ever_ to purposefully mix the powers of creation and destruction…" she said, biting her lip. "What…what do you think will happen?"

Antirock frowned from his side.

 _As dragons, what we create has a lot to do with intent. From what I've observed of your destruction, I can assume that intent also plays a lot into what and how you use your powers. If we combine our powers with the resolve of creating something that will make lasting change…then…_

"Then hopefully, it will." Echo concluded for him. He nodded and she gave her familiar wry grin. "Let's get on with it then…"

A deep rumble came from inside Antirock and golden light could be seen shining out between his teeth. Echo clenched her fists and a purple glow orbed around each. The made eye contact and released their aura into the middle of the plateau.

The two powers collided with a hiss. Echo had been afraid that they would merely blow apart, as they did in battle when Oni and Dragons fought. Instead, the powers seemed to be orbiting around each other, as if both were being drawn to something in the center of the mass. The ball of power began spinning, faster and faster. It threw off sparks and flashes of light, and Echo and Antirock found that they had to look away as it grew larger.

"It's….it's getting too big!" Echo said, worried. Antirock closed his mouth, and Echo tried to stop her own aura flow.

"It's pulling it out of me!" she yelled out, and Antirock realized that the same was happening to him. As the aura continued to flow into that central orb, he felt a jolt of fear. What had he done? His idea was going to destroy them both.

They both tried to escape, but the aura kept them rooted to the spot.

"What are we creating?!" Echo asked, not able to look away from the mass of power a hundred feet away. "Is it going to explode?!"

 _I…_

Right then, the mass flashed out with a blinding light and both Echo and Antirock fell to the ground, eyes closed. Echo covered her head with her arms, bracing herself for the explosion she felt certain was coming. Instead, the light and the hissing, crackling sound died and she found herself alone in the silent darkness. She let out a shaky breath, her heart pounding in her ears as she looked around and then warily pushed herself up.

After the blinding light, her eyes were struggling to adjust back to the darkness. But it did appear that there was _something_ in the place where the mass of aura had been. She crept towards it.

 _Echo…be careful…_

Antirock couldn't make out what Echo was headed towards…but he wasn't sure he trusted whatever had come out of the volatile power combination. She glanced up, acknowledging him, and then crept closer.

Echo blinked in shock as she reached it. It…it was a _person_ …

A small child lay on the rock surface, fast asleep. He looked like an Oni, but rather than white skin his was more of a golden color, and his hair was pale golden-white. He was dressed in some kind of plain cloth.

 _What is it?_

Echo knelt next to the small figure, unsure what would happen when he woke up.

"A child."

Antirock was taken aback, and he couldn't help but wind his way over.

 _How?_

"I don't know." Echo reached out a hand, smoothing the child's hair. It was soft and feathery to the touch and she couldn't help but smile. "I don't know…but perhaps he's the answer we were searching for; perhaps he can help us unite the realm…"

Antirock looked doubtful as he studied the boy. He knew that Dragon power was capable of creating elements, even pieces of nature itself such as plants. But an actual life? An actual _soul?_ How could this have ever happened? And how could any child bring about the enormous change that was required for this realm to have peace?

Echo took in the dragon's expression and laughed softly.

"Well…what were you expecting to happen?"

 _I don't know…but certainly not the creation of a helpless child. What do we do with him?_

Echo's smile faded. That was the true question. A child couldn't be left on their own…but how would either of them be able to hide it well enough to take care of it?

"Well…we can't just leave him _here,"_ she finally said. She reached out and lifted the child into her arms. Antirock watched intently as they both waited for the small boy to wake up or cry out or explode or _something._ But he just let out a sigh, snuggling in closer to the Oni. She swallowed, holding him tighter as she glanced up at the dragon.

 _There may be a place._

* * *

Echo clung to the small form with one arm, using the other to hold firmly to Antirock's back as he flew. She looked down at the sleeping child, but besides the occasional sigh or shift in position, he hadn't done or said anything.

Antirock found the place he was aiming for and wound his way to the ground, landing as gently as possible. He lowered himself and Echo slipped off.

A hole could be seen in a rock formation. Echo entered cautiously and found a roomy cavern inside. She turned back to Antirock.

"If you know about it….other dragons must too." she argued.

 _What would beings of the sky need with underground caverns? I discovered it a few weeks back, but didn't think much more of it until now._

It made sense. She entered the cavern fully.

"We'll have to pull together some supplies…a sleeping mat, food, clothes…" she trailed off. The weight of what they had done suddenly hit her and she swallowed. How were they going to keep this a secret? _Should_ they keep it a secret? If this child was going to change the realm, they needed to show him to everybody…but what if he wasn't capable of doing anything? What if it was all some kind of fluke?

She tried to lay the child on the ground, but he clung to her, whimpering slightly in his sleep. It caused a flipping feeling in her heart…something she had never felt before. She sat on the ground, still holding the small boy.

 _What do we call him?_

She rubbed a hand across that feathery hair, her throat tight.

"I don't know. Perhaps he should name himself. I…I think I will just call him Child."

Antirock didn't say anything to that. He knew that Echo would not leave the small boy here, but it would surely get cold here in the night…and they had yet to supply this cavern with comforts. He pulled himself fully into the cavern and wrapped himself around them protectively. Echo leaned back against him, but looked up with a concerned expression.

"Your brother will miss you…"

 _And the Oni will miss you as well. We can worry about what to say to them in the morning._

She smiled slightly, suddenly realizing how exhausted she truly was. It wasn't long before the three of them were fast asleep.

* * *

Sunlight beamed in from the cavern's opening, awaking Echo in the morning. She stirred, opening her eyes. Her morning brain was foggy…wasn't she supposed to be holding something?...

She bolted straight up, fully awake. She elbowed the dragon's figure behind her.

"Antirock…Antirock he's _gone!"_

The dragon began rumbling awake as she stood and did a quick scan of the cavern. After finding it empty, she darted out into the sunlight. She stopped dead as she caught sight of a small figure staring off into the distance, head tilted. The small child turned at the sound of her coming out of the cave. Echo came forward slowly, not knowing exactly what to expect. His eyes were grey, and they had a deepness to them that she had never seen in any child. She knelt down so she could be eye level.

"Are…are you ok?" she asked. She had no idea what else to say.

"Yes."

He sounded like a child, but his tone had a self-confidence to it that surprised her.

"Who are you?" he asked. She smiled hesitantly.

"I'm Echo…I'm your…" she trailed off, not sure what to call herself. "I'm here to protect you."

He looked curious as he sat down, cross-legged.

"Protect me from what?"

Antirock burst out of the cavern and the boy yelped, nearly falling backwards.

Echo put up her hands.

"Don't be afraid….that's Antirock. He will protect you as well."

"Oh." The boy pushed himself back up. He watched the Dragon weave into the sky before turning back to the Oni. "What is my name?"

Echo smiled sadly. "I don't know."

"Oh." The boy said again, frowning. "Perhaps someday, I will find it."

"Perhaps."

 _Is he what you think he is?_

The Child blinked at the sound—and feel—of Antirock's voice. Then he turned to Echo.

"What is it that you think I am?"

She reached out a hand to touch his face, and he smiled at her.

"I don't know what you are….but I _hope_ that you will be able to bring peace to this realm."

He looked at her quizzically for a few moments, but then his expression became determined as he grabbed her hand on his face.

"I will try."

11


	3. Echo and Antirock Part 3

Nicki's Story

 _Part 3_

Echo lifted the pack of supplies onto her back. She had managed to slip back into camp without anyone noticing and had packed up as much as she could to take back to the cavern. Antirock couldn't stay with the Child without making his brother suspicious at his absence, and she didn't feel comfortable leaving the Child there by himself longer than she had to. She had nearly made it to the outskirts of camp when she heard someone behind her.

"Echo."

She froze, heart dropping. She had managed to avoid Kahzym ever since he had banned her from council…but of course he would find her now of all times. She didn't turn, and she could hear him approaching.

"I've been looking everywhere for you…" his voice was as stern as always, but with some underlying tone she couldn't place. He was silent for a moment then spoke.

"Where are you going?"

She didn't know how to explain the pack on her back…it looked as if she was prepared to be gone for a week or longer. Which, technically, she was. She continued to look at the ground, not wanting to turn and answer. When she didn't turn around, the Oni Ruler walked in front of her in order get a look at her face.

"You're leaving." he said quietly. She shrugged, still not looking at him. He sighed.

"Because you are off the council…you don't feel there is any need for you here?"

That struck her as odd, and she finally looked up to meet his eyes.

"Is there?"

"Of course." He shook his head at her expression, not knowing how to read it. "You were asked to be part of this camp because of your skill in fighting and your ability to strategize. And I would gladly have you back on the council if I knew that you were in agreement with our purpose."

She bit her lip and looked away. She pictured some dragon coming across the little cavern a few miles away…

She jumped as Kahzym took her hand. He had come closer and was looking down at her, confused.

"What's happened to you, Echo? You're distant, hesitant, unresolved… You are not the same Oni I met months ago in that village, ready to take down the dragon nation…ready for _peace…"_

 _"_ I am still ready for peace." she snapped back. She swallowed as she eased her hand from his. "Kahzym, I have to go."

He shook his head at her reply, suddenly angry.

"You do not have my permission…have you forgotten who I am? I could order you… _force_ you to stay…."

She felt a jolt of fear at that, but she refused to show it. Instead, her head snapped and she drew herself up to full height, staring him defiantly in the face.

"Go ahead." her voice was an angry whisper. "Order it."

His brows furrowed, and Echo tried not to think about his personal guard a few yards away, ready to heed any command he gave them. He finally sighed.

"Where will you go?"

"Perhaps I will go home." she said as she walked around him. "At any case…I need a change of scene."

"You cannot go home."

Echo froze for a second time; she had meant to keep walking, to finally get out of the camp. But something in his tone stopped her dead. She whirled around.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed heavily. "It's the reason I've been looking for you. We got word this morning…your village was decimated yesterday by the Dragons. There were no survivors."

She lost feeling in her body, and she found she couldn't breathe. She stumbled backwards, and Kahzym reached for her.

"Echo…"

She turned and bolted away from him, and away from the camp. She burst through the power barrier into the desert surrounding. She could barely hear Kahzym as he continued to yell her name.

* * *

Antirock headed to the cavern, emotions jumbled within him. It had been a trying few days, with the creation of the Child and his brother's endless questions. Not to mention what his brother had told him in the meeting right before the younger dragon had managed to escape Jarule's notice. He finally spotted the cavern and wound his way down. The Child was sitting outside, arms around his knees. It looked like he had been waiting for him.

 _Is Echo here?_

"Yes. But she is sad…" the Child said simply. He looked upset as well, and Antirock frowned before pushing his way into the Cavern. Echo had gotten ahold of supplies, it seemed; two bed mats were unrolled on one side and a sack holding food and other tools sat near it. Echo sat on one of the mats, expression blank and tired. Her eyes had deep circles under them as she carved a chunk of wood.

 _What's wrong?_

She didn't respond…it was like she didn't even hear him.

 _Echo…_

"Leave me alone."

Her voice was dull…Antirock felt something twist inside him. He swatted her with his tail, and she shoved it away, angrily.

"Leave me _ALONE!"_

 _What's wrong?!_

She threw the hunk of wood, but not at him. It hit one of the stone walls of the cavern as she let the knife clatter to the floor. Her eyes were flashing purple and he realized how much anger she was keeping at bay as she put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands.

"Your… _brother._ My village…it was…" she exhaled angrily. "Dragons leveled it. Months ago, I _tried_ to get them to set up defenses…but they were so far out of the war-zone, they didn't think it was needed…" She finally looked up at him, and her expression looked both furious and guarded. "Why?! Why would he prey on farmers and miners and villagers…they aren't warriors! _They can't fight back!"_

Antirock's frown deepened. It was wrong, what his brother was doing…but the way Echo talked it was almost like she blamed _him._

 _Jarule attacked dozens of villages this past week._ He admitted. She shook her head in disgust and he continued defensively.

 _It was a direct response to the deaths of a dozen and half dragons that were poisoned in the south…_

She looked up at that and exhaled again.

"I tried to stop them…" she said quietly, as if she was talking to herself. Antirock bristled.

 _You knew?! And you didn't think to warn me?_

"I didn't know they were moving forward with it! I was kicked off the war council, remember?!" she had stood as she yelled at him.

 _You knew they had the poison…_

"Ok, _yes_ …but what could I have done? What could _you_ have done to prevent it? You can't even stop your brother from murdering thousands of innocent…"

 _He does take Dragon lives seriously, believe it or not!_

"OH I'm _sure_ he does!" she spat. "I'm sure your _righteous_ older brother would never do anything to hurt a Dragon…after all, they aren't horrible, degraded, monsters like the rest of us!"

"Stop it!"

They both turned to see the Child standing in the entryway, looking both angry and scared. He came forward, sitting on the other bed mat as he continued to look at them.

"You're both upset…but fighting isn't going to help. We have to stick together to bring peace…isn't that why you made me?"

Echo looked over at him, and her blazing eyes finally faded back to maroon.

"Yes. But…but what can any of us do, really? What can _anyone_ do against senseless killing?"

The Child seemed to ponder that.

"We have to show them that _they_ can work together…just like we can."

 _But how?_ Antirock flicked his tail, irritated. _They are all stubbornly entrenched in their way…_

"We must unite them, somehow." The Child said. Echo and Antirock looked at each other in surprise.

"Unite? I can't see them _ever_ agreeing to that…" Echo admitted.

"Maybe not now…but someday." The Child said. He often got a strange look on his face, as if he was seeing a bigger picture than everyone else. "But that will _never_ happen if the two of you can't even stay united."

His gaze was soft, but piercing. Echo bit her lip as Antirock sighed.

"You're right." Echo finally said. She looked at Antirock with an apology in her expression. "They've already taken so much from us…we can't afford to let them split us apart as well."

* * *

It had been a few days since Echo had moved into the cavern. She looked at the dwindling food pile and sighed. She had been hunting…but it was slow going. It was dangerous to travel this close to dragon territory on her own; it made doing most things difficult. She hadn't seen Antirock since their argument; she knew his brother was coming down hard on him. He admitted at the end of their last meeting that he wouldn't be able to come very often; he didn't want to give away their location. She just had to hope he would come in the next day or so…and that he would bring food.

She heard something scuffle outside and she walked over to the entrance, concerned. The Child was pushing himself up out of the dirt, as if he had just fallen. He wore a determined expression as he began spinning. Echo shook her head in amazement as he spun faster and faster, eventually stumbling and landing in the dirt once again. She couldn't help but laugh.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a smile. He turned and gave a sheepish look as he stood.

"There's….there's just so much inside…" he trailed off, looking down at his hands. "I'm trying to find a way to let it out…"

"What do you mean?" she asked, coming closer to dust him off.

"The power…it's all mixed up inside." he explained, looking her in the eye. "It needs to come out."

It had never occurred to her that the Child would have power. Was it Dragon, or Oni? Or both? She felt a flutter of hope as she realized that perhaps this Child was more capable of bringing about change than they had assumed.

"And the spinning helps?" she asked, wiping dirt off his face.

"It feels…right." he said. She smiled at him.

"Then keep on trying." She stood; he was no doubt hungry with all of this running about.

"I don't intend to quit," he assured, and she laughed.

"I would hope not!" she headed back into the cavern to get them something to eat. After glancing at their pile, she fished out two loaves and headed back out to watch. She sat on a rock as the Child breathed deeply, and began striking different poses. Each pose was slow and deliberate…they had a peaceful feel to them. Then he began spinning again. This time, however, something happened.

Echo nearly dropped their dinner as a small tornado sparked to life, pearly gray in color.

"…What?!"

The tornado wobbled, and the Child suddenly came crashing out of it back into the dust. He looked over at her surprised expression and grinned broadly.

"I think that was it!" he said as she rushed over to help him up.

"But…what was it?"

He thought about it for a moment.

"Spinjitzu"

"Spinjitzu?" she asked, not understanding. He nodded emphatically.

"Yep. I just made it up."

She laughed and he laughed with her. He spotted the loaves and scampered over to hop up on the rock to grab one. She came and sat next to him, eating her own loaf slowly. He leaned against her, content, and she put an arm around him. Nothing about this situation made much sense…and more often than not it felt like she was walking along the edge of a cliff. Yet, she couldn't remember a time that she had been happier.

* * *

"Kahzym?"

The Leader turned away from the map, where a handful of villages had been crossed off. He turned to see Virgil behind him.

"Yes?"

"The evacuation efforts are still going forward…the new fortress is well guarded; the refugees should be safe there."

"Good." Kahzym looked back at the villages, stroking his goatee. "There's no pattern to these attacks…they seem reactionary."

"Since when do Dragons make _sense?_ " Virgil scoffed. "The poison attack was victorious…the next installments should be ready soon."

The Leader nodded, expecting Virgil to leave, but instead the eastern leader came around the table, grinning.

"But I haven't even told you the best part..."

Kahzym looked up, eyebrows furrowed as Virgil leaned in.

"We've spotted a Golden Dragon…he's been making the same trip week after week. I don't know what routine he's got going on, but…"

"The Elder?" Kahzym asked sharply. The other leader shook his head.

"Nah…smaller and pale…definitely part of the Elder race, though."

Kahzym exhaled, thinking.

"We could kill it!" Virgil said excitedly. "We know it's routine now…and _tha'd_ be a good strike against the foul beasts…"

"A member of the Elder race would have valuable information…information about strategy, targets, plans…and the ability to tell us about them."

Virgil scoffed. "You want to capture it? Why should it get to live?"

"It would only live long enough for me to get some answers."

* * *

Jarule watched his brother closely. Antirock was resting on a plateau a few leagues away with a few young elemental dragons. He had always been a bit of a dreamer…but Jarule had always hoped he would grow out of it. The more time went on, however, the more his younger brother slipped away. It wasn't safe…it wasn't _acceptable._ But the whole of the dragon nation rested on Jarule's shoulders…he couldn't watch his idealist brother at all times. He shook his head. The last few months, Antirock had been bringing up ideas…very _dangerous_ ideas. He hadn't the foggiest idea where he was picking them up from. He never said them straight out, of course, but he hinted here and nudged there. The Elder couldn't figure out what Antirock was playing at.

He watched as his brother glanced around, as if looking to see if he was being watched. Jarule was hidden; his brother didn't see him as he slipped off the ridge. Jarule sneered. Where was he off to _now?_

He wasn't going to follow him…not initially. But the longer he thought about it, the more it irritated him that he didn't know what his brother was doing with all of his time. Making more of those inane flower patches? Or something more?

He finally slipped off his rock, determined to find out.

* * *

 _Hold on! You're just like Echo!_ Antirock said with a laugh.

The Child laughed as well as he gripped tighter. Echo rolled her eyes from her position on the ground.

"Be careful!" she yelled up at them. It was a risky thing, taking the child on flights…but he had wanted to. She found it incredibly hard to say no to his pleading gray eyes.

Antirock made sure that the Child had secured himself before he began weaving off into the late afternoon air. Jarule was more suspicious if he came home after dark, so he had begun slipping away during the day while his brother was busy in councils of war and realm-checks.

The Child couldn't help but reach a hand up into the air as it rushed by. With one hand still firmly latched onto the Dragon's hair, he was able to keep his balance.

"I wish I could fly…"

The Dragon smiled at that. He still wasn't sure if this Child would be able to do all he and Echo hoped for…but he was fond of the small boy regardless. In fact, he couldn't think of much else he had cared about as much as he cared for this strange and unexpected answer.

The Child lowered his hand, looking down at the landscape with a smile. The smile faded, however, as he caught sight of a glimmer behind a rock formation.

"Antirock…" he said, starting the warning. But the ambush had already closed its circle, and blasts of power exploded towards them. Antirock twisted quickly to avoid the blasts, but one hit home and he grunted. He tried to fire down at the Oni, before blasting higher in the air to be out of range. However, the Oni had reached the top of the rock formations above him and fired nets down at them. He pulled off a bolting maneuver, winding through the air at high speed. He had all but forgotten the small figure holding on until he heard the shriek. He looked down in panic as the Child hurtled to the earth. He immediately changed direction, speeding towards the falling figure. He managed to catch him, but he couldn't dodge the attacks aimed at them.

He hit the ground hard, dust and dirt exploding from the impact. He winced at the pain from the landing and the ongoing attacks, but he felt the Child moving in his grasp and felt a flood of relief.

It was short lived as Oni began throwing chains.

* * *

Echo had been sorting through the food Antirock had brought when she heard the sound of the horn. Her head snapped up; it was an Oni ambush. She could see Antirock in the distance…weaving through the air in a defensive manner. She took off running.

* * *

The dragon put up a good fight, but it was on its own and Kahzym had brought a strong ambush force. It wasn't too long before the golden beast was restrained, with Oni using Hatred to keep his energy level lower. The Oni Ruler faced the Elder-raced dragon, who glared back. But even the rare dragon wasn't as interesting to Kahzym as whatever it was he appeared to be hiding in his interlocking feet.

"What do you have there, beast?" Kahzym asked calmly. It merely snarled at him, and Kahzym turned to a few warriors at his side.

"Let's have a look, shall we?" he said, gesturing to the dragon. The warriors set off to pry the feet apart. The dragon snapped protectively, but other warriors yanked forcefully at the chains around his head and face and blasted him with bruise-colored orbs. A minute or so later, the Oni were finally able to extract what the Dragon was trying so hard to hide.

Kahzym raised his eyebrows in surprise as they threw a small figure at his feet. He hadn't been expecting _this…_

The child looked up at him, surprisingly calm.

"It's hideous…" Virgil said from behind him. Kahzym shook his head. The boy looked like an Oni…but it was golden in color.

The boy got to his feet and began backing up, but the Oni Ruler lashed out and grabbed the Child's arm. The Dragon roared, and Kahzym scoffed.

"Does this child mean something to you, beast?" he asked softly.

"He isn't a beast. He's Antirock."

Kahzym looked down in surprise as the Child spoke. It fixed him with an unwavering gray gaze, unafraid.

"And what are you?"

"Kill it, Kahzym!" Virgil snarled behind him. "Whatever it is…it sure isn't _natural._ "

The Child didn't react, still staring at the Ruler.

"I'm the Child."

"The Child?"

"That's what Echo calls me."

Kahzym lurched back, as if physically struck. His grip on the child's arm tightened and a flicker of pain crossed the boy's face.

" _What_ did you say?" he hissed.

"You're hurting me…" the boy said, trying to pull Kahzym's hand off his arm. The Ruler didn't release his grip, shaking the child.

" _What are you!?"_

The Dragon roared again and Kahzym shook his head. He pulled out his long knife, and the Child's eyes widened.

 _"NO!"_

The Ruler froze. A figure burst around the bound dragon.

"Echo…"

She reached them and ripped the child out of his grasp, pushing his small figure behind her own. She was breathing heavily and shaking, but she stood erect as she faced down her leader. Kahzym glared at her, not understanding.

"What…"

Dragon roars echoed suddenly through the gorge, and Kahzym's head whipped up to the sky.

"The Elder…" he breathed. He must have gotten word that his own had been captured. The guardians had come as well.

"Well well well…let's kill them all, shall we?" Virgil grumbled from behind him. Kahzym knew that they wouldn't make it out alive if a battle broke out here, however. He held up an arm, signaling to his archers to hold. He did not command his men to release the captured dragon, however.

The Elder opened its mouth to fire, as did the guardians.

"Hold…" Kahzym ordered as he caught sight of the glow in the mouths of the beasts. They were about to fire, and he was seconds away from ordering his archers to do the same.

 _JARULE, STOP!_

The Oni all lurched in shock at the sound of the Dragon's voice. Kahzym looked towards the captive dragon, confused. Had he ordered his own to stand down?

The Elder's mouth snapped closed as he snarled.

 _How dare you order a ceasefire!_

The enormous golden dragon landed on a nearby formation, roaring down at them.

The smaller dragon in chains turned to look at Kahzym.

 _Release me…or he will destroy you all_

"Don't be soft, Kahzym…" Virgil warned, but the Ruler held up a hand for him to be silent. He glared at the dragon and then glanced at Echo. She stood frozen, defiant, with that small child huddled behind her.

"Release it."

The Oni did so and Antirock shook off his bonds. He looked up at Jarule, who glared down at all of them.

 _Explain yourself_

The Elder was furious, and Antirock swallowed.

 _The war has lasted long enough, Brother…_

The Elder's tail lashed.

 _How dare you…what are you saying?_

Meanwhile Kahzym was looking at Echo, his eyes hard as flints. They were purple now, and Echo tried to keep herself from shaking.

"I…" she hesitated. She hadn't expected to have to defend their dream so early, but there was no going back from this. "I want _peace_ …Kahzym…"

"Who is the boy, Echo?" His voice was hard and unforgiving. She glanced back at the Child, who looked up at her. His expression was calm, though he clutched her shirt.

"He's mine."

Kahzym's eyes blazed, his grip on his long knife tightening.

"You _filthy_ …" Virgil started.

" _How_?" Kahzym's tone was as collected as ever, but she knew he was furious.

Echo turned and realized that all the Oni were staring at her. She drew a shaky breath.

"You wouldn't have believed us… _none_ of you would have believed us!"

"Us?"

She ignored her ruler's bitter question. "The war…the _loss…_ it doesn't have to be this way. Dragon and Oni power can coexist…"

The Oni began jeering. From his perch above them, Jarule sneered down at them all. He had caught sight of the Child…but suddenly he realized that he could sense power within the small form. He had assumed it was just some Oni freak…but the power within was not just Oni power.

 _What have you_ done _Antirock?!_

His brother was free now, but he had remained in the gorge…as if he was protecting that small mutant.

 _The existence of the Child is_ proof _that our powers can coexist, as Echo says…_

Jarule snarled as Kahzym's head snapped up at the mention of Echo's name. Understanding finally hit and he looked like he was going to be sick. For the first time, his calm demeanor broke.

"This is _why?"_ he yelled. He came forward and grabbed her arm. She wasn't sure what to do…what she _could_ do. If she tried to fight him the archers or personal guard would kill her and the child without hesitation.

"Stop!" the Child cried out, and Kahzym turned to him in disgust.

"Just…just leave him alone…" Echo begged, but Kahzym shook his head as he shoved her towards his personal guard. She tried to run back to the child, to protect him, but one guard grabbed her braid and the others restrained her by her arms. She struggled and fought in their grasp, desperate to get free.

" _NO!"_ she screamed again as Kahzym moved towards the child.

Antirock launched forward to protect the child, but Jarule bolted down to knock his smaller brother out of the way.

 _RELEASE ME_

 _That atrocity must be destroyed…_

 _NO_

Even with Kahzym approaching and the dragons and Oni watching, the boy remained calm. He looked over at Echo, who continued to fight those holding her back. Then, the Child began to spin.

12


	4. Echo and Antirock Part 4

_Part 4_

Echo stopped fighting as she watched the Child turn, faster and faster. Even Kahzym hesitated, not sure what the abomination was up to. There was a sudden spark, and the pearl gray tornado appeared. The gathered crowd gasped, not sure what was happening. Jarule shook his head.

 _What is it doing?_

Echo glanced from the tornado to the faces in the crowd. Would this be enough to show them? To _really_ show them?

The tornado ran into a nearby boulder, and the crowd gasped again as the rock blew apart. The spinning slowed, and soon there was just a dizzy, tired child in the middle of small pieces of rock with everyone looking on.

"What was that?" Virgil asked; even the bloodthirsty leader was intrigued. The Child turned to face all the faces looking at him and took a deep breath.

"It's called Spinjitzu. It's a way for the power that's inside to come out…"

"Power?" Virgil called out. Kahzym stood frozen; for once, he seemed unsure of what to do.

 _The Child possesses both the power to create and to destroy…_ Jarule said, as if to himself. He had sensed both within the boy, but to know that the Child could actually _use them…_

Antirock glanced at his brother, not liking the greedy tone in his voice.

 _Then you see now, that both can exist peacefully…_

"What else is it capable of?" Kahzym had turned and was looking at Echo. She just shook her head.

"I…I don't know. But Kahzym, this Child…he is _proof_ that we don't need to be at war anymore!..."

"Oh, I see a way to end the war alright!" Virgil had come forward, his own eyes glinting as he looked down at the Child. The small boy looked around at the expressions on everyone's faces and seemed to shrink into himself more.

"I'm here to bring peace…that is the goal…"

 _Oh, and you shall…_

Jarule released his brother in order to charge towards the child, claws outstretched. The Child darted out of the way, running towards Echo. Virgil and a few other Oni blasted the Elder as he came close, and the Golden Reptile snarled and shot power of his own. It wasn't long before a battle had broken out. The Oni held their own against the guardians, but they wouldn't have been able to keep the Elder at bay if Antirock hadn't barreled into him.

The child had almost reached Echo when Kahzym grabbed him again.

"Let go!" the child yelled, trying to push the leader off, but the Oni's grip was strong.

"Kahzym, stop!" Echo yelled, once again trying to free herself. Kahzym looked down at the struggling boy.

"You're coming back with me." he said coldly, and the boy shook his head vehemently in reply. The Oni ruler then looked up to make eye contact with the horned woman a few yards away.

"You both are."

Yelling and explosions echoed around the gorge as Kahzym dragged the boy towards the safety of his army. The guards holding Echo forced her forward, following the Oni Leader. Her heart sank as she looked at him and then around the gorge.

"This…this is _wrong. This was supposed to stop the war!"_

Kahzym reeled on her, eyes blazing once again.

"Don't you understand?! This war will only end when we or they are _exterminated,_ Echo! And you've been helping the other side! You've betrayed your _own!"_

"NO!" She glared at him. "I've been trying to _help_ the Oni…"

Kahzym scoffed at that and looked down at the still struggling child.

"With him…we might actually stand a chance…so maybe you have helped us after all." he said coldy. Echo's own eyes were flashing purple again as they all moved further from the fighting.

"I won't let you use him…"

Kahzym shook his head as they walked.

"You forget your _place_ Echo…I am the sovereign." He hesitated, before looking at her again, voice low. "And I will use whom I wish."

* * *

 _GET OFF ME!_

Antirock had rarely heard his brother so irate, but he didn't back down. He knew they had all passed the point of no return; all that mattered at the moment was protecting the Child.

 _He's not a weapon, Jarule…_

 _He will become whatever he needs to be, fool._

The Elder shoved his brother off only to get mired with the attacks of more Oni. The Dragon hissed and lunged, and Antirock nearly went for another attack when he realized that he didn't know where the Child was anymore. He finally caught sight of him in the distance—the Oni Ruler had him. He felt anger rise in him as he saw Echo being dragged away as well. He immediately bolted towards them, ignoring the pain as various Oni attacks hit home. He let out a large blast and managed to knock part of the Ruler's guard out of the way. He hissed and lunged, engaging in enraged battle as he tried to get to the woman and Child that were being rushed out of the gorge. Pain erupted in his side as arrows hit home. He let out an enraged roar as his powerful tail took out the assailants.

"Antirock!"

The Child's voice somehow stuck out in the deafening noise. Antirock let out another roar as he charged the crowd, blasting.

The blast hit Echo and the guards holding her, and they lost their grip as the three of them tumbled into the dirt. Pain erupted in her shoulder as a sharp rock made a deep cut, but she pushed herself up and took off running before the guards could reclaim her. Another blast took out Kahzym and his guards; the child—finally free—ran towards her. Antirock shot towards them; Echo picked up the Child right as Antirock reached out and grabbed them both. Kahzym had regained his feet and yelled in anger as he fired a shot at the escaping Dragon. It hit Antirock's tail, but besides baring his teeth, the Dragon didn't react as he sped away from the scene.

* * *

Antirock had transferred Echo and the Child up onto his back, and the Child clung to her as she gripped armfuls of the feathery dragon-hair to keep herself anchored. Tears flowed silently, ripped off the sides of her face as they continued to travel at high speed. The sun had set, and Echo had no idea where they were. Logically, they had made it to the Eastern province by now…but her head was pounding, and she really didn't know how fast Antirock was able to travel…how great of distances he was able to cross. After it had become totally dark, she sighed.

"We might as well stop…you can't keep flying forever."

 _I am fine._

She looked down at the Child, who was struggling to hold on as his head drooped.

"Antirock…he needs to sleep."

The Dragon sighed, but he began to make his way down to the ground below. There were fields of grasses here; things had always been slightly more prosperous in the east. Echo dismounted almost woodenly into the grass; her legs had been tucked beneath her for hours and she realized as she stumbled she had lost feeling in them. Antirock moved to steady her, and she pressed her back against him as she slowly sank into the grass below. What was the point of standing anyways? They had nowhere to go…nowhere that they could run _to._ This was as good a place as any.

She looked down at the groggy boy in her arms; she could have laid him in the grass, but she chose to keep him close as he finally drifted off to sleep. Antirock curled up around them protectively, just as he had that first night, and she began to shake as she cried.

"What have we done?"

 _What do you mean?_

"We were trying to create _peace…_ to show that…that it wasn't impossible…" she cried harder. "But they didn't listen…how did we ever even believe they would?!"

Antirock tightened around her. _There was nothing wrong with our goal, Echo…and we cannot give up hope…_

She didn't reply, holding the small child close. Eventually her crying and shaking stilled as she fell asleep. Antirock sighed heavily as he looked down at them and then up at the horizon. He knew he wouldn't sleep that night…so he kept watch and waited for the sun to rise.

Echo woke to the touch of small hand on her cheek. She opened her eyes to see the Child's face looking into her own.

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, but there was something else in his expression she couldn't place. She sat up, concerned.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes. I'm fine…" He trailed off before looking back at her. "I can't stay here."

She began looking frantically around for an immediate threat, but the small child moved her face so it was looking at his again.

"No…I can't stay _here…_ in this realm. Those other people…the other dragons…" he trailed off, his brown knit with anxiety. "They want bad things. I do not want to help them with the bad things…"

Echo shook her head, not understanding.

"But…but you can't _leave_ the realm…" she argued. It was then she felt a brush against her shoulder. She turned to face Antirock, and she could tell from the look on his face that he and the Child had already discussed it.

"Antirock…"

 _He will never be safe here._

She clenched her jaw.

"I will protect him…we both will!"

 _I cannot hide from my brother for long. He will catch up to me eventually…and even if you were able to remain hidden with him, what kind of life would that be?_

Her heart pounded as his argument sank in.

"Then…then we can all leave…"

 _I cannot._

She looked at him in surprise.

"What do you mean?!"

 _Elemental Dragons are capable of realm travel…but the Elder race is tied to this realm. I cannot escape it._

The child tugged at her collar and she looked back at him.

"I have to go alone."

" _No."_ Her grip on him tightened. "I'm not letting you go alone…I'll go with you…"

 _The other Oni will be drawn to you; they will use your signature as an anchor…but his is too new, too unique; they wouldn't know it…_

She turned and glared at Antirock, inadvertently pulling the Child closer.

"I'm not sending him to another realm _alone!_ Not when Dragon and Oni and who knows what else will find him…"

"I will be ok." The child sounded so much older suddenly, as if he knew things that were to come. He smiled at her, trying to comfort her. Tears swam in her eyes again.

"You were supposed to bring peace to this realm…" she accused, voice breaking. "How could you just leave it?"

His smile faded, and he looked away.

"If I stay, they will use me for bad things. If I go…there could still be peace someday…when I come back."

She glared at the Child. She couldn't imagine losing him…

He grabbed her face with his two small hands, gray eyes pleading.

"Echo…don't you trust me?"

She swallowed, unsure of her answer. He was just a child! He…he couldn't do this, not on his own! But there were those glimpses she had seen; it was like he was slowly realizing some potential that she couldn't even comprehend. And she had trusted him in his ability to bring peace…from the moment she had seen him. But not now…not when he was so young….not when he would have to be _alone…_

"How would you even leave? Can you travel between realms?" she found herself asking.

 _There is a way…_

Echo looked back at Antirock. His face was determined.

 _It would be dangerous…but there is something I could do to help him._

* * *

Jarule looked out across the desert landscape.

 _I want everyone scouring this realm…we must get that boy, and my wayward brother as well._

The Guardian of fire bowed his head in acknowledgement and the four guardians took off. Jarule continued his own search, his mind on the events that had occurred hours before. Despite all his brother's strange behaviors the past months, he never would have expected _this._ He didn't know how that witch had ensnared Antirock in the first place, but it was clear now where his dangerous ideas had stemmed from.

And that _boy._ A mistake, he was sure…but a mistake that he could use to his advantage. The untapped potential in that Child would be the key to eradicating the Oni once and for all. With their powerful defenses and new fortresses, it was becoming increasingly hard to kill them. But with the Child on his side, there would be no stopping him.

* * *

Echo followed the Child, rubbing her arms against the cold. It was almost dusk once again, and she and the Child had kept on the move to avoid Oni and Dragon alike. She stopped walking, turning to look behind her once again. Antirock had been gone all day…she wasn't even sure what his plan was, but she didn't know how he would find them again…

"It will be ok." She glanced down at the boy's calm expression as he took her hand. "He will find us. He knows us well."

She frowned, not sure what the boy meant, but he had started walking again, pulling her along by her hand. After a few more minutes he led her into a series of caverns, and she sighed. It was comforting to be somewhere passing dragons couldn't see.

"How did you know this was here?" she asked him. The boy had sat down. He shrugged in response.

"It just felt like it should be here."

She stared at him, marveling. What else was this Child capable of?

They sat in silence, neither sure of what else to say while they waited for Antirock to return.

* * *

The Dragon Nest was not as well guarded as it should have been. Antirock slipped in without being seen, frowning. They were all looking for him, no doubt…him and the Child. He headed to the opening to the deep caverns. Here there were still guards, and he had to be especially careful. He wished he wasn't so light-colored; it made it hard to blend into the shadows.

The guard slipped down the corridor and he managed to weave down another. He stopped often to hide from guards, and the trek to the heart of the cavern took a painfully long time. But he finally managed to get there.

He swallowed as he approached the Elemental Gold. Veins of it ran throughout this mountain; the treasure of the Elders. It was sacred…and well-guarded. And he meant to steal quite a bit of it.

* * *

There were several times that dragons darted over their hideout, and Echo's heart went to her throat each time. She always hoped that it was Antirock, but the sound of wings beating revealed the truth; they were merely the Elder's spies, looking for them.

She tried to focus on the feeling of knife on wood; it was a calming tactic she had used much of her life. The power inside could become uncontrollable; all Oni had their own coping mechanisms. Though, for some, they coped best through hunting and _killing._ The knife bit into the wood again, and she forced a chunk out.

The Child was nearby, sitting cross-legged with his hands on his knees. He appeared to be asleep…but she knew he wasn't. The only sound in the cave was the constant scraping of her carving.

It was dark once again…Echo knew they both should get some sleep. There was no telling what would happen tomorrow. But if the Child really was going to leave…she didn't want to spend her final hours with him sleeping. More wood shavings fell, littering the floor around her. Time continued to tick away…and soon her carving was complete. She stared at it, running a finger along the crude lines. She had always been good at the general shapes…but she struggled with details.

"What is it?"

She jumped. It was just the Child…but they had passed so many hours in silence that the sudden voice scared her. She looked over at where he was smiling, curious.

She rubbed a finger along the carving again.

"It's…it's for you."

The child stood and walked over for a closer look. She handed him the carving and his face lit up.

"A Dragon…he looks like Antirock." he held it close to his face so he could get a better look at the details before looking back at her, smiling. "Thank you."

She nodded, smiling slightly in return. He noticed her expression and came to sit next to the Oni. He leaned on her, looking down at his dragon.

"I'm sorry." he said after a few minutes. "I couldn't bring the peace you wanted…"

She rubbed a hand across his feathery pale-gold hair.

"It wasn't your fault…the war is just too entrenched…"

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"There could still be peace someday. When things are better…"

She kissed the top of his head and he trailed off.

"Will you really come back?" she murmured. He child clutched the small wooden dragon, not looking up at her.

"I will try."

Antirock flew quickly, though the gold he was carrying weighed him down. Jarule would be furious when he found out…he was furious anyways. Antirock pushed thoughts of his brother out of his head.

He reached the long grass fields where he had left Echo and the Child, but they were gone. He knew they had probably gone to find shelter…but he realized with a start that there was no way of knowing where they had gone. What if they had been discovered? How would he ever even know?

He forced himself to calm down and stop thinking of the worst. He closed his eyes. After a few minutes he felt a kind of tug… halfway between an idea and a feeling. He opened his eyes and followed the direction. After a bit he spotted a large formation and flew down close to the ground for a closer look. Sure enough, there was a small opening in the side.

 _Echo?_

The opening was too small for him to enter, but he tried his best to see inside.

 _Echo, are you in here?_

He heard some stirring and a few moments later the Oni appeared in the opening. Her hair was out of sorts, and her tired face betrayed relief. The child came around the corner as well, clutching something in his hand. Half his hair was sticking up, like he had fallen asleep leaning on something.

Antirock dropped the four chunks of gold on the ground, and both of their eyes grew large as they looked at it.

"What is it?" Echo asked. Even in the darkness, the gold glinted warmly.

 _Elemental Gold. It can be infused with Elemental power….it's our most guarded possession…_

"How did you get ahold of it then?" she asked, looking up at him. Her eyebrows raised at his expression. "You _stole_ it?!"

 _It's the only way I could think of for the Child to escape. If he had access to the four main elements, he would be able to unlock a way out of this realm…_

"Did you infuse the gold, then?" Echo was incredulous. No wonder Antirock had said this was a dangerous plan. "How did you manage that, without anyone catching on?"

Antirock was quiet for a moment.

 _There are four elemental dragons_ … _they are quite young, and easily lead_ …

Echo shook her head as the Child laid a hand on one of the chunks. A glint of red sparked across its surface. He looked up at the Dragon.

"This will work." he said confidently. Echo and Antirock looked at him in surprise. He returned their looks with a steady gaze.

"Will you help me draw a circle?"

The gold was placed in the four corners of the circle Antirock had drawn in the dusty ground. The child looked at it with an unreadable expression before turning to Echo.

"I'm leaving now." he said simply, but he was clutching the wooden dragon tightly in his hand. She knelt to hug him tightly and he wrapped his little arms around her neck. Neither knew if they would ever see each other again…but neither wanted to mention it. After a few minutes the Child let go and moved over to hug Antirock. The large dragon dwarfed him, but he hugged one of his legs, and Antirock lightly rested his head on the Child's back. Then making sure not to mar the curved line as he entered, the child moved into the middle of the circle. He sat, legs crossed and eyes closed. His hands were not rested on his knees this time, however, because both were holding the wooden dragon.

Pearly grey aura began wafting off him and Echo wrapped an arm around Antirock's leg for support. The aura wound its way towards the gold, and sudden colored beams shot out of them, meeting the aura. The Child's face contorted in concentration, and Echo exhaled softly as tears coursed down her face. The colors and light were getting brighter, bathing the desert landscape. The Child opened his eyes suddenly, and his eyes met Echo's for a split second.

But in the next, he and the gold were gone…and there was nothing left but a dusty circle in a dark night.

* * *

Antirock knew that they couldn't stay out in the open for much longer; with both Oni and Dragon searching for them, they were bound to get discovered. But he didn't have the heart to move Echo as she cried. Months ago, he didn't even know Oni _could_ cry… but she had been doing so more and more lately and it hurt him to see her so distraught. She finally calmed down, and he was surprised when she turned to him.

"We have to move…they'll be scouring this area soon, no doubt."

 _Yes._ Antirock hesitated, not sure how to break the news to her as she went to climb up onto his back. He moved so she couldn't ascend, and she gave him a confused look.

"Antirock…"

 _My brother will find me, Echo. It's inevitable…and I cannot be around you when he does._

She stared at him, wide-eyed as she tried to comprehend what he was saying. She finally shook her head.

"I don't _care…._ " she said, coming closer. He backed up and she glared at him.

 _Please…_

"We've lasted this long!" she argued, but he continued to remain aloof.

 _We are connected, him and I. He had no reason to search for me before, but he does now. I have been trying to keep the connection as thin as possible, but I cannot get rid of it. We are both of the Elder Race…and he can trace me anywhere._

She dry washed her face, shaking her head again.

"What will he do to you….when he finds you?" she finally asked, voice quiet. He brushed her shoulders with his tail and she looked up at him. He smiled sadly.

 _He will no doubt be livid with me…I will lose most if not all of my freedom. But he is still my brother, Echo…he would not harm me._ His smile faded as he looked at her. _But you, he would harm. That is why we must stay away from each other._

She might have cried again, but she had nothing left within her. Instead, she just hugged herself, looking away.

"So that's it, then? I…I just have to lose _everything?!"_ She sighed angrily. "I'd rather take my chances with you, then leave you to your fate and go off on my own!"

 _I know._ Antirock cocked his head. _But I can't let anything happen to you…_ I _cannot risk your life by bringing you along._

She moved forward and hugged him fiercely, not ready to lose him as well. She knew he was right…but she really didn't care anymore.

Antirock looked up suddenly, hearing something in the distance. His face contorted.

 _The Guardians…_ _go and hide in the caverns until they leave._

Echo didn't let go, and she felt a rumble within him.

 _Don't make me force you in there…_

She sighed and finally let go. They walked to the cavern together, and Echo slipped in. She watched as he took off and refused to go deeper into the caves until she couldn't see him anymore.

* * *

It didn't take Jarule much longer to find his brother. Antirock didn't even try to fight…he knew he couldn't take on his brother and the two Guardians that accompanied him.

 _Where is the Child?!_

Antirock refused to say anything, and after Jarule realized that he wasn't going to talk, he had the Guardians take him back to the Nest and went off to try to find the Child himself. Antirock was confined to a dark cavern deep underground, with at least two Guardians guarding the entrance at all times. He was curled up, trying not to think about being underground. He had been in caves before, but to be _confined_ beneath the earth was not right for a dragon. They were meant to be out in the open air…but he tried to get used to it because he knew his brother wasn't going to let him out any time soon.

It was three days before Jarule even paid him a visit. He entered the dark cavern and glared down at his younger brother.

 _Where is he?_

Antirock once again chose to stay silent, and Jarule snapped at him.

 _WHERE IS HE, ANTIROCK?_

 _You'll never find him._

Jarule lunged towards his face, teeth bared. Antirock didn't even blink.

 _YOU have betrayed your race…your status…your own_ NAME!

 _I have done nothing that wasn't meant to better the lives of Dragons. This war is tearing the realm apart…_

 _Then give me the child!_ Jarule's tail whipped viciously. _Tell me where he is! Then we will have the power to end this war…_

 _Destroying the Oni is not the answer!_

The Elder shook his head, sneering in disgust.

 _She has poisoned you…that Oni witch has_ changed _you…turned you into something I can hardly recognize._

 _She didn't change me, Jarule! I have always hated the violence, the needless bloodbath…and for what? What is it we are trying to do?!_

 _Rid this realm of those Monsters! Antirock, it has been this way since the beginning….we cannot both exist peacefully._

The Elder was breathing heavily now, trying to keep his anger in check. He finally spoke again.

 _I know you stole Elemental Gold. You meant to smuggle the Child from the realm. The question is…have you succeeded?_

Antirock kept silent, but there was enough of a glimmer of emotion that Jarule knew he had struck onto the truth.

 _No matter, little brother…we dragons also possess the ability to go between realms. We will merely scour them all until we find him… though I cannot promise that the boy won't be hurt in the process…_

Here Antirock finally looked up. His heart sank as he caught sight of Jarule's unfeeling expression. The Elder saw his worry and continued.

 _Unless… you want to give the search party some direction? Help us, and I will make sure that he is unharmed._

Antirock shook his head.

 _Brother….it is_ you _who is no longer recognizable…_

Jarule snarled at that, but he relaxed at Antirock's next words.

 _Bring in the four young elemental dragons…I will tell them how to find him. They are the only ones I trust not to harm him._

 _So be it._

And Jarule was gone.

13


	5. Echo and Antirock Part 5

_Part 5_

It had been months, and Echo was finding it hard to find the motivation to keep going. She hunted mainly, though she stole here and there when she had to. She slept as often as she felt safe doing so, but she still felt exhausted most of the time.

She picked her way across the field, looking for any creatures that she could catch for dinner. She was so tired she barely realized what she was walking in until she tripped and fell into them.

Poppies…dead poppies. She swallowed, picking one and touching its paper-dry petals, the familiar ache tightening in her chest. She didn't hear the footsteps behind her until it was too late. The butt of a spear hit her across the back of the head, and she landed face first into the poppy field.

* * *

"They found her."

Kahzym didn't react, and Virgil wasn't sure the ruler had heard.

"It's Echo…they found her. We can force her to tell us where the Child is…"

"He wasn't with her?" Kahzym asked quietly.

"The hunter who caught her in the western province said she was alone. They're keeping her in a village out there, awaiting your instructions… shall I tell the messenger to have her transported here, to the fortress?"

"No." Kahzym's tone was hard and cold. "I will go to meet them."

Virgil frowned. "It's dangerous to bring armies out at this point…" the beady-eyed leader warned. "The Dragons continue to scour the realm for the child as well, and they will likely try to wipe out any…"

"Then I will go alone to avoid their attention." Kahzym turned and gave the other leader a look that dared him to question the sovereign. Virgil bowed his head.

"Then I shall come with you…and a few guards. We can't have our ruler totally unprotected."

"So be it." Kahzym said. He walked over to the side of the room and pulled his long sword off the wall. "We leave now."

* * *

Antirock looked up in surprise as his brother entered the cavern; the Elder hadn't visited in a long time. The younger dragon didn't even get a chance to question the visit before Jarule had slashed his claws across his brother's face. Antirock roared in pain, rearing back.

 _The Dragons you sent have not returned…you sent them to_ protect _the Child, didn't you?_

Antirock glowered at his brother, breathing heavily. Jarule roared in his face.

 _HOW DARE YOU! Betraying your own with a filthy Oni witch wasn't enough?!_

 _How dare_ **you** _ **.**_

Antirock's voice was low and angry.

 _You think you are a powerful leader, Jarule…but you have lost your way. I will not give you the Child…and I will never help you claim him._

The Elder hissed, raising his foot to strike again, but Antirock's gaze was as calm as it was angry.

 _You do not care for your own kind!_ Jarule spat, but his brother said nothing. Jarule finally lowered his foot, his face suddenly hardened with resolve. _Then I will find something you_ do _still care about._

Antirock flinched and Jarule wound his way out of the cavern, leaving his brother to his fears.

* * *

Echo woke up in a tent, her arms chained behind her and her ankles shackled. She sighed, both terrified and resigned. She supposed she couldn't have kept running forever. She struggled for a bit to get herself upright. They hadn't killed her…no doubt they wanted her alive for questioning. Her jaw clenched. Let them question, then.

After a few hours, the tent door rippled as someone began pushing it open. Her heart dropped when she caught sight of the hardened face with ebony eyes.

"Echo."

She looked away. She had noticed the sword he held tightly in one hand…she wasn't going to tell him what he wanted to know. Then he would kill her.

"Where is the boy?"

Kahzym's voice was soft, but she knew that there was a threat behind the question. She shook her head.

"Somewhere no one will be able to use him."

" _Tell me."_

She looked up at him, mustering up enough energy to give him a disgusted look. His calm demeanor broke as he began yelling.

" _Curse you,_ Echo _!_ They want your _head!_ " He came closer, and she could see a vein bulging in his neck. "I can't _help you if you don't tell me where he is!"_

"Then don't help me."

Her voice was calm as she looked up at him, dark circles under her eyes.

"I don't know where he is." she finally said. "But even if I did, I would never tell you or anyone else."

He moved suddenly, grabbing the back of her neck as he brought the sword to her heart. She stiffened but didn't cry out or try to fight.

"You know the punishment for treason…" he said quietly. His eyes searched her face for any flicker of fear, or even anger. All he found was quiet and tired resolve.

"Yes."

She felt the added pressure of the blade against her skin, and she closed her eyes, ready for the end.

Kahzym yelled again, and she opened her eyes in surprised as he released her. He continued his enraged roar as he threw the sword across the tent. It spun in the air and hit the thick canvas wall, cutting a clean line before dropping into the dust. She looked up at him, eyes wide. His back was to her as he raked his scalp with his hands.

" _Curse you."_ He said again, but this time his voice was quiet. He finally turned and looked at her, his expression hard to read.

"Did you ever care about me?" he asked angrily. She swallowed, not sure what to say to him.

"I…always thought you were a good leader, Kahzym…"

He scoffed bitterly.

"That's not what I meant…"

She just shook her head. She knew what he wanted her to say…but she _couldn't_ say it. And he knew it.

"But the dragon? You cared about him?" He took a step closer. " _Loved_ Him?"

"Kahzym…"

A Dragon roar echoed around them, as if summoned. Both of their heads whipped up, and Kahzym dove for his sword. He had just reclaimed it when the tent was ripped off the ground, revealing the Elder Dragon. Kahzym cursed under his breath before yelling and charging the beast. He dodged the Elder's swipe, and lunged with his sword. The Dragon writhed out of his reach and snapped at the figure with blazing eyes.

Virgil and the rest of Kahzym's guard were trying to attack the beast from the back, but a powerful swipe of his massive tail sent them flying. Echo watched it all, helpless in the dirt. She fought against the chains, but she lacked the strength. There was nothing she would be able to do.

Kahzym was able to land a blow on the Elder's underbelly, but it didn't come close to being deep enough. It was the last blow he landed.

The Dragon let out an enraged roar and a swipe hit home that sent the Oni ruler flying. Kahzym managed to retain his sword as he hit the ground, but he didn't lift it in defense in time.

Echo screamed as the Elder's long claws pierced Kahzym's armor and the Oni ruler's body went limp. She hadn't eaten in days, so her body's attempts to wretch were useless. The Elder turned his gaze on her and she glared back, tears flooding her eyes. She pushed herself backwards with her legs; it was useless, but her body's automatic response was to try to run.

The Elder Dragon roared as he charged her, grabbing her in blood-soaked claws. She screamed again, writhing in his grasp. He took off into the air before turning to glare at the Oni still on the ground. He could have destroyed them as well…but he didn't.

 _You are weak…soft…and it will not be long before I destroy you all._

Echo continued to fight in his grasp, and he tightened his grip until she screamed out again.

Virgil watched in horror as the Dragon disappeared, and then ran over to his ruler's side. But it was too late…Kahzym Oerall the Third was dead. Virgil cursed under his breath.

"You were too soft Kahzym….I _warned you!_ Your empathy was _useless_ …" He turned to the guards who had come up to see for themselves.

"We need to get back to the fortress…inform the others." He stood, shaking his head at Kahzym's figure as he talked to himself.

"What this Nation needs is an iron fist…and to be rid of this crippling empathy. Unless we cut affection out of ourselves, we will never survive this war."

* * *

She didn't know what the Elder wanted, but Echo knew that she would probably be dead by the end of it all. She continued to thrash in his grasp; as useless as it was, she was _not_ going to go quietly.

"You _MONSTER!"_ she screamed as they rushed through the air. The claws constricted once again, putting painful pressure on her bound arms.

 _YOU are the monster…_

"You killed him!" she spat. "You didn't need to kill him to get to me…you slaughtered him for no reason… just like the villages you've been destroying!"

 _Everything that has happened…it has been your fault._ Your _poisonous influence. If he is dead unjustly, it was_ your _sins that earned him that punishment._

Her eyes blazed purple. "If I've done so much wrong…why haven't you killed me yet?!"

He finally looked down at her, sneering.

 _You will die…and your death will be far worse than that of the Oni leader, you can trust in that._

Her heart pounded at a painful rate. She was afraid…but she refused to show it. She glared murderously as he continued.

 _You have poisoned my brother…corrupted him with your perverse ideas, tainted him with false ideals…_

"He chose his _own_ path _…"_

 _You have been bent on destroying him from the beginning._

Her eyes widened in shock and fury.

"I _LOVE_ Him!" she screamed. "Which is more than you can…"

He crushed her so forcefully that her words were choked. Something cracked, and she screamed out.

 _You are a pathetic, LYING abomination…and this realm will not be safe until you and all like you are eradicated._

She couldn't respond, her eyes closed against the pain. By the time she opened them again, she realized they were nearing the Dragons' Nest…a place that no Oni had ever been to. She knew it was no honor for her to be brought here.

 _My brother in his sickness will not tell us where the child is…tell me where to find him, and you will be spared your righteous punishment…_

" _Never."_

He sneered at her defiance. _Then you will help me convince my brother to seal the Child to us._

Her brow furrowed. She didn't know what he meant, but she would die before she did any such thing.

"Whatever it is you want me to say, It wouldn't be…"

 _I said you'd convince him…I never said you'd get to say anything._

* * *

The cavern wasn't necessarily small, but after months of being enclosed underground in this same room, Antirock felt like the walls were closing in. There were times he considered trying to escape, but he knew it would be useless. Jarule would only find him again…and the guardians would stop him before he got far at any rate.

The walls were covered in jagged claw-made lines: marks he left when bored or frustrated. He paced back and forth, trying to figure out what Jarule had meant. No…he _knew_ what he had meant. He was trying to decide if his brother would be successful or not.

He heard the scraping of claws on stone; someone was approaching. He stopped pacing, watching the entrance. Jarule entered, his expression still stony and determined. He shook his head at his younger brother, and for a second Antirock saw his brother's resolve break as a glimmer of something crossed his face. It looked like guilt…guilt and regret. But then it was gone.

 _I didn't want it to come to this Antirock…but you had your chance to fix this problem you've created and you chose not to._

 _Come to what?_

Antirock's tone was bitter and guarded. What did his brother have planned? Jarule sighed, lying on the ground with his forearms crossed.

 _We will get the child back and the elements that you stole from us…whether it's now or in the years to come._

 _You sound so sure…if you are already certain that you will attain him, then why do you continue to torment me about it?_

Here Jarule looked up.

 _Because it is your Prophecy that will make it so._

Antirock reeled back, looking at his brother in horror.

 _A Prophecy?! Jarule…that's…._

 _It is our right as the Elder Race to create Prophecy. You are aware of…_

 _AT A COST! You_ know _that Prophecy has a soul cost…_ he shook his head, looking at his brother in morbid amazement. _I'm your_ brother, _Jarule…you would have me die for your own misguided agenda?!_

Jarule stood, eyes flashing as he bore his teeth.

 _I would have had you help us before, Antirock…but she's tainted you too deeply. I cannot trust you. The goal of our ancestors will be met once we have the child; his legacy is tied to the Oni's fate and ours. I know you can feel it as well…_

 _Then why do you not make the Prophecy?!_ Antirock spat back. _Why not sacrifice yourself for this monstrous cause?_

 _DO NOT DARE CHASTISE ME!_ The Elder roared. _IT IS_ YOU _WHO BETRAYED OUR KIND….IT IS YOU WHO WILL PAY THE PRICE!_

Antirock glared. _I will not make any Prophecy, Jarule. If you want me dead then kill me yourself and be done with it._

Jarule calmed a bit, drawing back.

 _I will not kill you, Antirock…but there are those I am willing to destroy if it means that I will finally get to you._

The Elder's tail flicked, signaling to someone at the entrance. The red Guardian dragged a figure into the cavern, arms chained behind her, and Antirock froze in horror. Her braid was nearly all pulled out, and she had a thick gag tied around her mouth. She struggled against the Guardian as it dumped her next to Jarule. Echo's eyes met Antirock's, and she had enough time to vehemently shake her head before the Elder's foot came down, pinning her to the cold cavern floor.

 _Jarule…don't…._ Antirock sounded sick and his brother raised an eyebrow.

 _Even now, you care more for this impurity than you do the future of your own kind. It's appalling._ His claws clamped harder as Echo struggled and kicked out.

 _Stop…leave her alone!_

Antirock knew that he wouldn't…unless Jarule got what he wanted, he would kill her.

 _You have a choice, Antirock._ The Elder fixed him with a stare. _Which price are you more willing to pay?_

Antirock could hear Echo screaming through her gag; he knew what she would have him do. But he couldn't let her die…he couldn't let Jarule kill her as easily as he had countless others.

 _You cannot harm her…if I do this than she will never be targeted again…_

Jarule scoffed, as if disgusted by his request.

 _If you make the prophecy—and specify that the child and the elements will be returned to this nation forever, and that he will destroy the Oni—then I nor any other dragon will ever touch her again or do her any more harm. I swear by the Ancients._ He raised his eyebrow. _Is that sufficient?_

Antirock wasn't looking at him, instead focusing on the figure beneath his brother's foot. She was fighting less now, as if she was exhausted.

 _Yes._

 _Then you will do it?_

Antirock finally looked at his brother, scanning him for any other sign of regret or hesitation. But Jarule held his head high; a righteous king passing his judgement.

 _Yes._

Jarule seemed to relax in relief, while Antirock gave him an incredulous and disgusted glare.

 _Then do it._ The Elder said. Antirock glanced at Echo one last time and closed his eyes. After a few moments, pale golden light began emanating off of him and he spoke.

 _The Prophecy of Antirock will be thus…._

Jarule tightened his claws as Echo thrashed out again, her screaming resumed. Antirock's voice was deeper, as if connected to ancient voices of the past.

 _There will come a day when the Child will return with the Elements stolen from the Dragon nation…and both will stay with the Dragon Nation for the rest of its existence. Together, the Child and the Elements will bring the rise of the Dragon Master. The final battle will dawn as dragon destroys fortress stone and end in the triumph of the side chosen by the Dragon Master. And thus it is…sealed with the soul of an Elder, until its fruition._

He sagged to the ground as the prophecy ended, as if the energy was being sucked from him. The aura continued to pour off him, but his body itself seemed to become dimmer, as if it was slowly fading. He glared at Jarule, who had backed away from his younger brother.

 _That will do, brother. Though you've tried to protect the Oni by making our attack on their fortresses impossible, the rest of your prophecy will finally bring about…_

Antirock snarled as he faded, cutting off his brother's stiff speech.

 _Release her._

Jarule lifted his foot, revealing a weary Echo. She lifted herself as best she could, her eyes swimming with tears as she looked at Antirock. Jarule moved towards the exit to the cavern, glancing once more at his disappearing brother before leaving completely. The four guardians waited for him, as he had instructed them to. He turned to the Guardian of Earth.

 _Seal them in._

None of the Guardians would meet his eye, and at the command the Guardian of Earth clenched his jaw. When he made no move to follow the order, the Elder roared at him.

 _YOU are bound to obey the Elder…you will listen to me. Seal them in._

The Earth Guardian shut his eyes for a moment, turning and following the order. Jarule moved away as earth covered the entrance to the tomb.

Echo tried to push herself up, but she didn't have the strength. Antirock came closer, supporting her with his tail as he used a fading claw to slice through her chains. She made a small sound as her arms were finally released and she moved to rip off the gag.

 _You must get out of here…use your powers to blast…_

Antirock trailed off as the gag came off and Echo immediately began spitting something black out of her mouth and onto the cavern floor, coughing and retching. He watched in alarm and eventually Echo exhaled haggardly.

 _Echo…what…._

"Tuatyeh root." she moaned softly. The meaning behind the words hit him hard and he stared at her, horrified. He suddenly realized how badly she was shaking.

His roar shook the cavern and echoed throughout the nest.

"I wouldn't leave you anyway…" she looked up at him, and he could see the pain in her eyes. The poison of the root was known for its agonizing and incurable effect, and if he had had the strength he would have smashed through the sealed entryway to destroy his brother.

Tears coursed down Echo's face, both from the painful fire making its way through her veins and her sorrow at seeing more of Antirock fade away.

 _Of all the barbaric things…If I could….I'd…_

"He said it was a fitting punishment, for all the poison…my mouth has administered…" She tried to stand, but her legs were too weak and shaky and she fell back down to the ground. Antirock wound his disappearing body around her, and she pressed herself up against his side as she continued to cry and shake from the pain.

 _He promised to let you go…to let you_ live _…_

She shook her head as she spoke in painful bursts.

"He said…no dragon would harm me…following your Prophecy…but it was nothing more…than an empty vow. What need…would he have to harm me…when his poison would kill me anyway?"

 _This is my fault…I am so sorry…_ Antirock's voice was harrowed and grief-stricken. _All of this is my fault…_

Her body spasmed and He pressed his head against her. When she stilled again she sobbed openly.

"I wish…you hadn't made that prophecy…it's _my_ fault, Antirock. If it weren't for me…you wouldn't…have sealed the Child to this realm…you wouldn't be _fading now…"_ Another spasm and she cried out, tormented. " _Was it all for nothing!_? Our Child…they will find him…they will _use_ him…"

 _The Prophecy is final…but as all prophecy, there is room for different interpretations. Prophecies rarely work out the way they are intended…and I'm sure the Child will discover that. The wording does not make a union impossible…and he promised to create one when he returned…_

"We'll never see him again." she moaned, continuing to sob. Her arms were wrapped around herself as she shook. Antirock's heart ached; he wished desperately that he could take this agony away from her…

He noticed suddenly that aura was wafting off of Echo as well.

 _You cannot stay here…the prophecy will trap you too…_

She looked up at him, tears still coursing.

"Really?"

Antirock was surprised at the hope that he heard in her voice. He shook his head.

 _Echo…you would be kept from the Departed Realm. You would be trapped with me until the prophecy came into fruition….it could take centuries!_

She ran a shaking hand along the scales on his side.

"I don't care…as long…as I am with you…"

He pressed his head against her again.

 _But…Echo…_

She moved her hand into his feathery hair and somehow managed a breathy chuckle.

"Don't you…get it…Mr. Loyalty? I…I love…"

Her body spasmed again, fiercely, and her hand clenched his hair as she screamed and thrashed.

He closed his eyes as he continued to press his head against her, trying to comfort her as the poison reached its final stages. Eventually, Echo stilled and Antirock roared again in grief as her body went lax. Out of energy, he laid fully on the ground, her limp body next to his head.

 _I love you too._

He whispered the words as the two of them faded, the last of their souls being pulled into the seal of the prophecy. A few minutes later, the claw marked cavern was completely empty, except for a small patch of blood-red poppies at its center.

 _Epilogue_

King Virgil. It definitely had a nice ring to it, but the newly appointed Oni ruler had more on his hands than enjoying a new title. He had set out forces to purge their nation of the crippling effects of empathy. But he had gotten word that more and more dragons were leaving the realm. At first he was confused, but then he realized the importance of it.

"You summoned us?"

It was the bearded Northern Leader, accompanied with the Southern and Western Leaders. Virgil sat forward in the fortress throne.

"Indeed. Let me get straight to the point…as more dragons have disappeared, it has occurred to me that the Child may very well be _outside_ this realm. We need to find him and bring him back before those reptilian monsters do."

"How can you be sure the Child left? Or that they haven't already found him?"

Virgil stood in anger.

"Do you really think the Elder would be sending his best fighters off in the middle of a war if he didn't hope to gain something from it? And seeing as the dragons have not returned, and the Elder has not utilized any powerful weapon against us, I think it is safe to assume they have not found him. I need each of you to choose your strongest General to lead the search. Those with the most skill…and the least bit of _compassion._ " he said the last word with disgust. "No traces of empathy at all, if possible."

The three leaders bowed, acknowledging his request. He watched them leave. With three powerful and apathetic Oni Generals leading the search, he had no doubt they would discover the Child before the Dragons had the chance. That would allow him to remain behind and crush the last bits of affection from this realm. The Great Purge had begun.

11


	6. Jay

Nicki's Story

 _Part 1_

Cliff Gordon had been in a number of situations one could describe as "scary." Active volcanos, malaria-infested swamps…but nothing could have prepared him for this moment.

"I…I don't think I'm doing this right…" he panicked as he tried to keep ahold of the squirming form in his arms.

"Support his head… _Cliff…_ support his head!" The blonde directed from her place in the bed. She looked weak, and tired, but her blue eyes still had that sparkle that he had always found to be so enchanting. He made sure to support the baby's head, and his wife smiled from her place in bed.

"Can you believe it, Cliff? We're _parents_ …we have a son and we're going to teach him to walk, how to talk, be there for his first day of school, watch him go on his first _date…_ " Despite her exhaustion, she still seemed capable of her rapid-fire way of talking.

Cliff swallowed hard, looking at the frail bundle in his arms. This was a little person…how could he be in charge of such a little person?

"Celine…I don't think I was cut out to be a father…"

She laughed; it was a tinkling, bell-like sound.

"Oh Cliff, what would Fritz Donogan say?"

Cliff frowned as the baby started crying again. He bounced it up and down stiffly, but that only seemed to make it worse.

"How should I know? He's too busy saving the universe to have _kids…_ "

Celine shook her head, smiling, and held out her arms to take the baby. A few moments of her shushing and whispering and the baby calmed down and fell asleep. She kissed the top of its head.

"What should we name him?" she asked, looking back up at her husband.

He blew out his lips with a shrug. "Um…Interruption? He sure is _loud_ …"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, Cliff." She rubbed a hand across the little brown curls on the baby's head. She sat for a few minutes before turning back to her husband.

"I've always liked the name Jay. What'd you think?"

"Jay." He stared down at the little baby and shrugged again. "Yeah, good a name as any, I guess."

"Then I guess that's it. Problem solved." She kissed her baby again. "See? This parenting stuff isn't so hard."

"If you say so."

* * *

The alarm woke Cliff in the night. It also woke the baby, who began screaming as doctors and nurses rushed into the room.

"Wha…what's going on?" Cliff asked, his grogginess being replaced with adrenaline as he watched them swarm his wife's bed. "What's happening?!"

One of the doctors turned to him.

"I'm sorry Sir…something is going wrong. We're going to have to ask you to stay here…"

"What do you mean? That's my wife! I'm going with her!" He glanced over at Celine, to see if she was awake…or if she could _hear_ him. He caught a glimpse of her and panics shot through him; her eyes were closed and she was shockingly pale as the doctors immediately began wheeling her towards surgery.

"Celine? _Celine?!"_

A doctor held him back, and as the hospital door swung closed all he could hear was Jay screaming.

* * *

The headstone was ornate…as good as money could buy. But that was hardly a comfort to the mourning actor staring at it. Jay had finally fallen asleep in his carrier, and Cliff put a hand to his tired eyes. He hadn't slept all week…the grief and the baby had made sure of that. He knelt wearily to put a bunch of daisies on the grave; they were her favorite.

"You left too soon, Celine…I…I don't know what I'm _doing._ " The tears fell as he looked back at his sleeping son. " _I can't do this!_ "

A few people had suggested he just hire someone to raise the kid for him; a governess, or the like. But what kind of childhood would that be? He looked at the sleeping baby, shaking his head. Celine had wanted him to have parents. A family…a real life. Not a governess and a father who spent more time touring the world and filming movies than he did at home.

He waited there on his knees for another hour. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for…or if it was the grief that kept him glued to the spot. Eventually he stood up, brushing himself off as he picked up the carrier. The baby would be hungry soon…and then he would start crying again.

His chauffeur had offered to drive him, and his butler had offered to accompany him, but he turned them both down. As heavy as the carrier was, there was something about walking alone that helped him clear his head somewhat.

He took the long way home. He didn't want to sit alone in that house…just him and his time-bomb of a son. After a while he looked up and realized he was passing some kind of junkyard.

"Ed! Can you come help me with this? I need to get this motor in place quick; I've got cobbler in the oven!"

"Of course, Edna…just gimme a minute…"

Cliff didn't know why he hid, but he did. He glanced through the fence and around one of the piles of junk at a denim-clad, oil-stained couple as they fiddled with a motor on some kind of unrecognizable contraption. After they were finished, the older woman gave her husband a grin.

"Well, doesn't that look as good as a fickle-hunker on a dooms-bury car?"

"I'm glad you think so, dear…but now I think you ought to get that cobbler. Hate for it to go to waste!"

The wife laughed and headed towards a trailer, and her husband followed, seemingly eager for the impending dessert.

Cliff watched the happy, loving couple and the idea hit rather suddenly. It was _crazy_. And yet, it felt like the right thing to do. _These_ people would know how to raise a baby…how to give him a good life. And…and he could always be on the lookout from afar, seeing how he got on. He swallowed, pulling out a card and a pen from his coat pocket. After a moment's thought, he also pulled out his house key, using a bit of thread to tie it to the card. Then, with shaking hands, he pulled the blanket-wrapped baby from his carrier. He took a deep breath and starting walking further into the junkyard. He was creeping closer to the trailer when little Jay woke up and started fussing. Cliff winced, glancing over at the trailer to make sure the older couple hadn't heard. There was no evidence they had, and he bounced the baby and hushed it.

"Shhhh…son…. _shhhhh Jay…"_ he swallowed, the guilt of what he was about to do creeping in. He tried to shake it off. This would be _better_ for his son…

Jay miraculously calmed down, looking up at his father with big eyes. Cliff Gordon crept nearer the trailer.

"Now…now don't be afraid, son," he assured. He rubbed his son's hair with a shaky hand. "Fear isn't a word where you come from."

A few moments later he was hurrying away from the trailer, towards the entrance and the abandoned child carrier. He looked back at the small bundle on the trailer's porch only once, and then disappeared down the lane.

* * *

Ed dozed on the couch, happily full of cobbler. Edna was sweeping the entryway of the trailer when she heard a small sound. She couldn't quite figure out what it was…or where it was coming from, but then the small noises escalated into crying. She opened the trailer door and was shocked to find a screaming bundle on their doorstep.

" _Ed!"_ she called, and she heard her husband snort awake.

"Err.. whatzit, Edna?" he called blearily.

"Come quick!" she said as she knelt to pick up the baby. She looked at its little face, contorted as it cried, and her heart melted. She bounced the baby gently, reaching in to hold one of his tiny hands.

"Wha…what's this?" Ed asked, coming up to her as the baby calmed down.

Edna turned, and Ed could tell what she was thinking from her expression. He exhaled, smiling sadly.

"Oh…now Edna….we can't just..." he cleared his throat. "I mean, a cute little feller like this? He's gotta belong to _somebody…_ "

"But they left him here, Ed! With this!" She handed him the note tied to the key.

"Jay…" Ed read on the notecard, before turning it over for the address. He looked over at the baby with a spark of hope, but then he frowned and shook his head.

"If there's an address, we ought to give the baby back…"

"Well, they know where they left him." Edna had come into the house now, headed towards the fridge to see if there wasn't anything that they could give the poor dear to eat. "If they want him back, they'll have to come and say so." Her tone implied that she wasn't going to give up the little baby up easily, however. Ed sighed, torn between what to do. Edna handed the baby to him so she could rummage through their fridge, and he got a good look at the tiny child for the first time. The infant laughed, stretching its tiny hands towards the inventor's grease-spotted face. Ed couldn't help but chuckle, holding out a finger for the baby to grab. He looked up at his wife with misty eyes.

"Well….well I guess we couldn't just leave him outside…." he said, and she smiled at him, knowing he had reached the same conclusion as she had. He looked back down at the baby.

"Gosh…welcome to the family, Jay Walker."

 _Part 2_

Jay hurried to throw his school bag on his bed, hoping to make it back out the door before his Mom or Dad caught him. He would have just avoided coming home yet altogether…but he needed to at least drop his bag off so they knew he came home from school. If they thought he hadn't, they'd be out scouring the neighborhood for him. But now he could…

"Oh, Jay! I've been meaning to ask…"

Jay jumped at the sound of his father's voice.

"Dad! Hey! I was just on my way out, actually…" Jay said, not turning around.

"But you just got home son; where you headed?"

Jay bit his lip, wishing that his Dad would leave so he could go.

"I was just gonna go for a walk, you know…tired from sitting all day at school…and all that…"

Ed frowned, not sure why Jay insisted on keeping his back turned on him.

"Jay…."

Jay tried to inch around his father, keeping his face turned away.

"I'll be back before dinner…"

Ed grabbed his arm as he tried to dart away and Jay sighed.

"Jay, what's going on?"

"…Nothing…"

Ed turned him around and gasped at the shiny black eye Jay was sporting under one eye.

"Gosh, Jay…what happened?!"

Jay tried to just laugh it off, but right then his mother came around the corner.

"JAY! My word, did you get in a fight today or something?!" Edna asked, voice full of motherly concern as she grabbed his face for a closer look.

"Ow… _Moooom,_ I'm fine…it was _nothing…"_

"I think we're gonna have to know a little bit more than that, son." Ed said, his tone both stern and troubled.

Jay sighed again as his parents sat him down on the couch for a family talk. He should have known he'd get caught at some point…but his parents worried too much. He thought about lying…but both his Mom and Dad seemed to have an uncanny way of knowing when he was told less than the truth.

"I just got in a little argument at school…"

"With who?!" Edna was sounding more defensive, and Jay winced as he pictured her going mama-bear on his classmates.

"Um, just this kid in my class. We didn't really see eye-to-eye on an issue and he didn't really appreciate some of the remarks I made so he gave me this nice souvenir," he said lightly, pointing at his black eye with a chuckle.

"And no one stepped in to stop it?" Ed asked, incredulous.

"Are you kidding? They were loving it." Jay's voice became a little bitter and his parents tsked and tutted.

"I'm gonna go get you some ice, honey…" Edna said, leaving to go to the kitchen. Jay hoped that meant they were done talking about it, but the expression his father's face told him he wasn't about to be so lucky.

"What exactly was the issue?"

"What?"

"The issue you two were disagreeing on," Ed explained and Jay hem-hawed.

"Well, you know, he seemed to be under the impression that because I was born in a junkyard that… _you know…_ I'm just…garbage."

It took a while for him to get it all out, and he winced at the expression on his Dad's face.

"But _obviously_ there's nothing wrong with living in a junkyard, so I may have called him a few…choice things…that he didn't appreciate…"

"Oh Jay," Ed shook his head. Jay could tell that his father was really upset, but he wasn't sure if he was mad at the bully, or him, or both. Probably both.

"That kid doesn't have the right to say those things about you…but that doesn't give you any excuse to run your mouth and drop to his level,"

Jay's jaw dropped in defense. "DAD…he started it… _he's_ the jerk _!"_

 _"_ Oh, no doubt about it!" Ed said as Edna came back over, handing Jay the ice wrapped in a towel. He held it resentfully to his eye as Edna sat down and Ed continued.

"You're a Walker, Jay, and Walkers are problem solvers. You should be looking at this problem thinking about how to solve it, not reacting to it in a way that's gonna make it worse." He scratched his chin. "Does…that make sense?"

"…I guess…" Jay mumbled grudgingly.

"Good. So I suggest tomorrow you look for ways to solve the problem." Ed said with a smile.

"But if that boy touches you again, you let us know! That kind of behavior is unacceptable…" Edna added and Jay couldn't help but smile. It disappeared at her next words though.

"Maybe I should just come with you to school tomorrow, honey…that way…"

Jay dropped the ice pack so he could put both hands up.

"NO….no, thanks Mom…I mean, I _appreciate_ it…but it's fine. I'm just gonna do like Dad said….and solve it."

 _Not that there's any way to really do that…_ Jay thought angrily as he picked the ice-pack back up and held it to his eye. Guess all he could do was try.

* * *

Jay walked to school the next day, feeling annoyed and nervous. Jared was a bully—that's all there was too it. You can't _fix_ a bully. All you can do is keep your head down and try not to be targeted…but now Jay _was_ targeted. He sighed at the thought of their fight yesterday. He had thought it was common knowledge that he had grown up in a Junkyard, but Jared was a lot slower than the average idiot.

"Speak of the devil…" Jay muttered as he caught sight of Jared locking his bike up.

"Well, if it isn't Junk-boy!" the beefy thug called out. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said yesterday, and I'm thinking maybe you need a shiner on the other side."

Jay walked quickly towards the front doors of the school. Maybe just ignoring him was the best policy.

"Don't worry, on _you_ it'd be an _improvement!"_ Jared called, and the other kids loitering around laughed. Jay physically bit his lip to keep from telling Jared what would be an improvement on _him._

He made it through the doors and sighed. Only 8 more hours and he could escape back home. And then do it all again tomorrow….and the next day. He sighed miserably as he fell into his seat. Education had to end eventually, right?

Jay hurried out of the school, eager to stay out of Jared's way so that he wouldn't be tempted to call him anything else. He passed the bikes and glanced at the bully's bike. He couldn't help but stop and scoff. You could barely call that thing a bike! Rusted chain, break wires on their last legs….he doubted it could even go forward, let alone shift gears. He thought about how easily it would be to just make the whole thing fall apart. It would only take a few loose bolts…

He shook his head. As fun as it would be to get back at Jared, he wouldn't junk his bike like that. _That_ was a jerk move…and Ed was right about one thing: Jay wasn't about to stoop down to Jared's level. However, the bike did give him an idea. He hurried on his way once again.

* * *

Jay tightened the bolt into place, making sure the brake pads were lining up properly with the wheel. He hoped his teacher wouldn't notice that he had been gone on his bathroom break till the end of class…but he no way would he get a shot at the bike with Jared lumbering over it. He tested the breaks, satisfied that the new wires were in place and that the pads were working correctly. He couldn't help but smile; there was something satisfying about a job well done. Last thing to do was to add a bit of grease to the new chain he had scrounged up in the junkyard. He had learned a long time ago that people threw a lot of perfectly good stuff away. He was so focused on his work that he didn't hear the school bell ring…or see the kids come bursting out of the door.

"HEY, JUNK-JAY, _What are you doin' to my bike!?"_

Jay jumped at the bellow and ended up squirting oil on his pants. He sighed as he looked down; that wasn't gonna come out. He felt himself yanked backwards and soon was looking up defiantly in Jared's ruddy face.

" _Calm down, Jared…._ I was only fixing it!" he spat back. Jared laughed in his face.

"OH, I'm so _sure!_ Now what did you do to it, you little trash-rat?!"

"Well, I replaced the chain, for one thing!" Jay said defensively. "And the break cords. Aaaannd it _should_ change gears now…though it's hard to tell without riding it…"

"Like heck you fixed my bike…" Jared said, but he was looking over at it now. He had to admit, the chain and cords did look newer. He glared back down at the freckled kid, still firmly grasping Jay's shirt collar in his fist.

"What'd you do that for? You planning on stealing it, huh? Ain't got any bikes in a _junk-yard,_ I guess…"

"Where you think I got the parts?!" Jay spat, yanking himself out of Jared's grasp. He made a show of brushing himself off. "As for why I did it…we _Walkers_ are pretty handy at fixing things. And your old cruiser needed some TLC, alright?"

Jared continued to glare at him, though he didn't move to grab Jay again. Jay rolled his eyes and threw his hands up.

" _You're welcome."_ he said exasperatedly before turning and making his way home.

Jay chewed himself out the whole way home. What was he expecting? Gratitude? More likely Jared would trash his bike and claim Jay did it, and there were enough witnesses that saw fiddling with it that the bully would have a believable case. Jay shook his head. Just what his parents needed; a chance to buy a brand new bike for a _jerk…_

"Yo, Jay!"

Jay jumped at Jared's voice behind him, and he started walking faster.

" _Jay!"_

Jared sped past him on his bike and cut off Jay's path. Jay crossed his arms.

 _"_ What do you want, Jared?" he asked, irritated. The bully looked at him with strange expression.

"You were right…it changes gears lots better now. Why'd you do it?"

Jay shrugged again, not feeling like explaining his stupid idea.

"It just…looked like it needed fixing. I don't know…"

"You just fixed it cuz it looked like it needed it?" Jared didn't sound like he believed him and Jay sighed in exasperation.

" _YEAH._ Is that so hard to believe?! Now if you excuse me, I've got to get back to my home-sweet-junkpile, alright!?" He went to storm around Jared, but the thug put an arm out to stop him.

"Where'd you learn to fix bikes?"

"What is this, an interrogation? My parents are inventors…heck _I'm_ an inventor. I live in a junkyard and spend all my time building stuff. Is that enough information for you?!"

Jared was chewing his lip, like he wanted to say something else. Jay raised an eyebrow.

"It's just…I may know a couple other kids whose bikes could use some fixing."

Jay's other eyebrow shot up in surprise.

"Oh."

They just sort of stood their awkwardly for a few minutes before Jay finally moved past him.

"Well, ok…but I'm gonna need some help searching the junkyard for pieces…you coming?"

"Your mom sure does make good dessert." Jared commented as they wrestled a chain off of a half-buried bike.

"She just likes company…means she can show off…" Jay grunted, pulling back. The chain finally came off and he fell backwards into another junk pile. Jared looked around, taking it all in.

"You can just take whatever you want? And build stuff?"

"Well _yeah,"_ Jay said, rubbing his behind. He had landed on something hard and unforgiving. "I live in a Junkyard! What were you expecting?"

Jared shrugged nonchalantly. "I dunno. Like, piles of rotting food and used napkins and brown banana peels…"

Jay scoffed. "It's a _Junkyard…_ not a _dump."_

"There's a difference?"

Jay rolled his eyes. Some people. He added the chain to the bucket full of random bike pieces. Jared put a hand to his eyes as he realized that the sun was on its way down.

"I gotta go…my ma'll be worried otherwise." He picked up the bucket and ran off towards the exit. "See ya tomorrow, Junk-Jay!"

Jay rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help feel a little satisfied. It seemed his Dad had been right…but he hoped he would never have to actually admit it to Ed's face.

 _Part 3_

"Watcha working on, Jay?"

Jay looked up to see Sally Thompkins licking a lollypop and looking down at him. It had been a few months since the whole Jared incident and he had found his school fame had gone up immensely as he had started fixing this and that for students. Some of the fixes were so easy that he was shocked that they really didn't know how to fix it themselves. Others were complicated enough to really challenge him. Today, however, he was busy sketching designs for his next big plan.

"A flying contraption…"

"What?" Sally stopped licking and tilted her head confused.

"When I wear this, I'll be able to fly through the air," Jay explained. He pointed out the different features as other students meandered over to join their table. Jared sat down with a heavy thud.

"Whatcha gonna call it?" he asked.

"This one? Prototype One." Jay said proudly.

"What kind of name is that?" A red-headed kid asked next to him.

"Well, that's what inventor's do." Jay said confidently. "You don't really name your machine till after you have all the kinks worked out. You just keep building prototypes until it's perfect."

"How'd you test it?" another kid asked. Jay chuckled, rolling the blueprints up.

"That's the fun part."

"Hey, if it isn't the _famous inventor,_ Jay Walker!"

The mocking voice came from behind him and everyone turned to see who it was. Jay didn't really know the kid—he must have just moved in from somewhere. Jay took in the expensive clothes and the sneer and chuckled to himself. Whoever this blonde punk was, he apparently was used to being the center of attention.

Jared stood immediately.

"You want me teach him a lesson, Jay?"

Jay waved him off. "Nah… I'd hate for his nose to get any more snubbed than it already is…"

"Why you little…" the prissy kid said, coming nearer, but a few other bigger kids at the table stood with Jared and stopped him in his tracks. Jay stood up, blueprint in hand, and winked before leading the large group of kids back into the school building.

* * *

Jay limped home, mangled flying contraption under one arm. He tossed it into a nearby junk-pile before going into the trailer.

"So…that's a _no_ for Prototype 2…" he muttered.

He opened the door just in time for his Mother to see him.

"Jay! What happened?"

She grabbed his face, frowning at the deep gash that went across his right eyebrow.

"Um, just working out some kinks…"

"What did I say, Jay Walker? _NO_ flying contraption testing!"

"Mooooom that's what inventor's do!" Jay complained as his mother dragged him into the kitchen to clean out the cut. He tried to take the rag from his mom but she yanked it away and cleaned the cut herself. Jay rolled his eyes, feeling babied.

"It's dangerous!" Edna tutted. "There's a difference between testing an invention and taking life and limb in your hand. Tell him Ed!" she called over to her husband, who had just come in.

"Hm? Gee, Jay, what happened?"

"He was trying out another one of his flying contraptions…"

"Oh, Jay…what did we tell ya…"

" _OK! I get it!"_ Jay said. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't test Prototype 2 again and that I'll be extra extra careful...can I go now?" he whined. Edna finished applying a bandage to the cut.

"That's gonna scar…" she tutted.

Jay finally extracted himself from his parents and headed to his room to get some homework done. After he was sure they were asleep, he turned on a flashlight and pulled some blueprints out from under his bed. He made some notes, crossing out certain parts and circling others. Then he pulled out a new sheet of paper.

"Prototype…3…" he whispered as he started drawing.

12


	7. Cole Part 1

_Part 1_

Bev woke up to the sound of a slamming door. She sat up on the couch in time to see a furious looking Cole storm past. A few seconds later his bedroom door slammed and she sighed. Lou came in a minute or so later, looking just as frustrated.

"What happened?" she asked, and Lou twisted the end of his mustache.

"Well, you should be happy you weren't there. It was a nightmare…"

"Lou…"

"If he would just _practice!"_ Lou said, collapsing onto the couch next to her. "He fell… _fell_ …during the triple-tiger, so of course the judges…"

"The triple-tiger-sashay?" Bev cut in, eyebrow raised. Lou fell quiet and she sighed. "I thought we agreed…"

"He could handle it!" Lou argued. "He could do it if he was more _dedicated._ But half the time his mind is wandering all over the place…"

"He's seven, Lou…he's still a _kid…"_

"When _I_ was his age, I was already enrolled in Marty Openheimer's Jr Program. Bev…" he looked over at her. "I think that now would be a good time…"

"He doesn't want to _go_ to Marty's." She argued.

"It's the best school there is!" Lou said. "Where else would he possibly want to go?"

Bev sighed, putting a hand on Lou's back.

"He's still a kid, Lou…let him get a little bit older before we rush him into his future."

Lou looked at her and finally sighed.

"You're right, you're right. You usually are." He glanced back towards Cole's room, the door of which was still firmly closed. "We'll give it a few more years…"

* * *

"Hurry, I brought extra marbles, so you can have a full set against mine now, if ya want."

Cole smirked as he followed Leon down the narrow road towards the mountain near their village. The cobbled streets made it hard to play marbles—the soft dirt in by the mountain base was more preferable.

"How long, do ya think, before your Dad realizes you've ditched out on the pirouettes today?" Leon asked. Cole shoved him on the shoulder.

"Maybe you'll talk less smack when I _crush_ you this time." he snapped back, but the shaggy red-head just smirked.

They reached the mountain base and Leon started drawing a circle in the dirt to start their game. There were lots of men and women crowded nearer the base, and Cole looked over, intrigued.

"What's everyone doing here?"

Leon didn't even glance up.

"You live under a rock, you know that? It's the mountain climbing competition…free range. They aint gonna use ropes or anything. First to the top wins."

Cole rolled his eyes. "Doesn't sound that hard…"

"Yeah yeah….it's your turn, hurry up and shoot already."

Cole turned his focus back to the game. He had captured three of his friend's marbles when an argument caught his attention.

"Sorry, _mate_ …but those shoes are hardly regulation…"

"I live here! I climb this mountain _all the time_!" a voice argued back. "I hardly need any fancy shoes…."

"I'd hardly call those things on your feet shoes at all!" the first voice mocked. Cole looked over to see some fancy, sporty type picking on the local butcher. Sure, Angus didn't have a lot of money, or fancy clothes, but Cole had seen him going up that mountain enough with those worn shoes.

"The competition says all are welcome…"

"But I _also_ have the right to disclude those who don't meet specific _requirements,_ old-timer." the patronizing man sneered back. Cole stood up and Leon groaned.

"C'mon, Cole…your Dad's gonna be onto you any…"

But his black-haired friend had already walked away. Leon shook his head; that stubborn kid. He was just gonna get himself in trouble.

"Excuse me?" Cole said, and the Patronizing man looked down at him.

"Beat it, kid…we're trying to have an _adult_ competition here…"

"Then you should act like an _adult_ and let Angus climb." The man looked back down at the kid's serious expression. The competition organizer didn't like his disrespectful manner.

"Look, you're…what? 8? 9?"

"Fourteen."

The man laughed at that. "Oh, and here I thought you were a _child._ My mistake." His friends nearby laughed along with him, but Cole didn't seem fazed.

"Yeah…I guess I'm pretty young…probably don't have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, like _you."_ The man shook his head, not knowing where the kid was going with this. Cole looked up at the mountain, shielding his eyes with one hand.

"So how about you and I race, right now? If I win, you let Angus climb. If _you_ win…well. I guess I'll have learned my lesson, huh?" The man rolled his eyes, as if he would never dream of accepting such an offer. Cole smirked in response.

"You afraid to lose to a kid? I'll do you one better, then…how about I do the whole thing _without_ shoes?" He headed over to the base of the mountain, preparing to climb.

"You coming, fancy-feet?" Cole called back. The competition organizer huffed in response.

"No way am I doing something as ludicrous as…"

"See ya at the top!"

The man yelled out as the kid began scurrying up the side of the rock. The idiot was going to fall and kill himself, and _he_ sure wasn't going to be held responsible. The competition head ran to the mountain and started climbing after him, but he found that he couldn't quite keep up. The long-haired kid had reached the winner's ledge a full five minutes before him. He shook his head as he pulled himself over the edge; the kid was just lounging there, as if he had been waiting a while. After the fancy man had collected his breath he sat next to him.

"Fine…fine. I'll admit, that was some skilled climbing…bare feet and all."

Cole just smiled in response.

"You ever think about going into professional rock-climbing, kid?"

"Well…actually…"

 _"COLE!"_

The kid jumped at his name, and then groaned.

"Oh…no…"

He started scrambling down the mountain, but it was too late. His father had already caught sight of him. Lou was waiting at the bottom of the mountain, foot tapping and mustache twitching.

"Uh…Pop…I…"

" _HOME. Now."_

* * *

Lou basically threw Cole through the door. Bev heard the commotion from the kitchen and leaned her head back so she could see through the doorway. They were back early from practice…that couldn't be good.

"Of all the _irresponsible…_ "

"I…I was just taking a little break, Pop…"

"Break?! If you want to talk about _break_ how about you consider…for _one moment_ …how you could have _broken every bone in your body_!"

Cole sighed, wishing that his father wasn't so dramatic. His mother had come out of the kitchen, looking concerned.

"Lou…what's going on?"

"What's going on is that your son skipped out on practice… _again…_ to go gallivanting up some _mountain…_ no ropes, no safety equipment of any kind…"

"What?!"

"I didn't even go all the way up." Cole argued, sulking. "I was _fine…"_

Lou took a few deep breaths, glaring at his son.

" _Go to your room._ We will discuss this more later!"

Cole rolled his eyes and obeyed. After the door slammed Bev turned to her husband.

"A mountain? What's this about?"

"I was searching everywhere for him…the blasted boy has skipped out on three rehearsals just this month. I caught that ginger ruffian—a bad influence, that boy—and he told me Cole was climbing some mountain?!" He sat on the couch with a sigh. "I just don't know what we're going to _do_ with him, Bev….actually, I do. He's got to go to Marty Openheimer's now."

Bev swallowed. "He…acted foolish today, Lou, but I don't think he _wants_ to go to…"

"He's not a child anymore…and he's got to learn discipline. He thinks that just because he's _my son_ he'll become a good dancer without putting in the work! That simply is not the case…and I don't know how else to get through to him. It's time he took responsibility for his own future, and Marty's is just the place."

Bev shook her head as Lou spoke. Her husband trailed off, but after a few minutes he sighed again.

"You should have seen him, Beverly. Scrambling around that mountain like some kind of animal..." He shook his head. "You know who he reminded me of? That brother of yours, what's his name…"

Bev blanched, looking down at her hands. "Midas…" she whispered.

Lou snapped. "Yes! Midas, that's it. He looked just like Midas up there…climbing around, acting like some hooligan, taking absolutely _no_ thought for consequences…" he glanced over at his wife, trailing off when he caught her spooked expression. He sighed.

"He was fine…this time. But if we don't do something soon he's going to throw away his future on some adventure-seeking mistake…"

"Ok." Bev said quietly. She let out a shuddery breath. "Maybe it _is_ time we sent him to Marty's…"

"Great." Lou said, patting her knee. "I'll go let him know." He went to stand up and Bev put a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Let me, Lou…Let me tell him."

* * *

Cole tugged at his bow-tie. He was sitting in a chair, avoiding looking at the bag next to him. His father would be back any minute with his camera. Cole sighed and went through what he was going to say in his head once again.

He could do this…surely it wouldn't be that hard to tell his father he didn't want to be a dancer. That he didn't want to follow the same path that countless generations had followed before him…

He winced, thinking of how his father would react when he found out that Cole was betraying the family trade. If you could even call singing and dancing a _trade…_ Cole sighed and dry-washed his face. He skipped out on practices and didn't try especially hard in performances anymore; his father had picked up on all that. But he had never once even _hinted_ that he didn't want to be a performer…and he doubted his father was even the least bit aware of his hesitation. For being such a stickler for tiny details Lou sometimes missed things that were right in front of him.

His father came back into the room with his camera, beaming. Cole stood abruptly.

"…Pop?"

Lou looked up at him, seeming oblivious to Cole's nervous expression.

"Over here, Cole, the lighting's better…"

" _Dad…_ "

Lou gestured again. "C'mon, the bus will be here soon…we don't have all day!"

Cole sighed, making his way over to where Lou was pointing. He didn't smile as Lou snapped the picture, but once again his father seemed oblivious.

"First day at Marty's..." Lou sighed, a dreamy look in his eye. "What'd I'd give to go back…"

"Do you have everything?"

Cole looked up and noticed his mother standing near the door, next to his luggage. She looked tired, but she was smiling. Cole opened his mouth…trying to say it wouldn't even _matter_ because he wasn't going. But as he looked at his parent's expressions the argument died before it was voiced. He ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah…I guess I do."

The Ninjago city bus honked outside. The sound was like a punch to the gut, but his parents both turned to look at it, grinning.

"Looks like it's time to head out…" Lou said, going over to grab Cole's bag. Cole felt rooted to place…his bow tie was choking him. His father headed out to the bus, and Bev stopped by door. She smiled at him, holding out a hand.

"C'mon, Cole…" she said gently. The spell broke and he was able to walk across the room to the door. His mom slipped her arm around his shoulders and they went and boarded the bus.

Cole sat in the back next to his mother. Lou sat in front of them, telling anyone and everyone who would listen about what a big day it was. The bus headed into Ninjago city, and Cole stared out the window with a blank expression. He felt someone squeeze his knee and looked over to see his mom looking at him.

"Everything ok?" she asked quietly. Cole looked at her concerned expression and realized this was his last chance.

"Mom, I…I…"

Her eyes flicked across his face, as if she couldn't figure out what he was trying to say. He swallowed and tried again.

"It's just…I mean. _Sometimes_ it feels like I'm not supposed to be…a dancer…"

His heart was beating as the words finally made it out of him. He felt himself flush as he waited for his mother's response. She looked confused.

"What do you mean?"

He shrugged quickly. "I don't know…like…like maybe there's something bigger I'm meant to do…something else I'm meant to _be…"_

He glanced back at his mother and noticed that all the color had drained out of her face. In fact, she looked…scared?

He forced himself to laugh.

"Only joking, Mom…" he said, and she relaxed. He plastered a calm expression on as he continued his lie. "I'm just nervous, you know…new school. First time I've ever left home…"

She smiled, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes like it normally did.

"Oh, it's not so bad. You'll make lots of friends…" She cleared her throat. "And…and if you don't necessarily want to do _dancing_ there are lots of other fields to try…singing, acting…."

"Yeah…" Cole said quietly. "Yeah, I'll have to look into that…"

The Bus had reached the performing arts school, and Cole followed his parents off. Lou was the first to hug him.

"You're going to make a wonderful dancer, Cole…go make us proud!" he said, his voice thick with emotion. He pulled back and looked his son in the eye. "Listen to your professors…and for goodness sake, show up on _time!"_

"Yeah, Pop." Cole said, not looking at him. Lou moved out of the way and his mother walked over. She pulled him into a tight embrace, and Cole hugged her back. She didn't say anything for a bit, and when she did Cole realized she was close to tears.

"I…I think you'll like it…" she started, then paused. "I _know_ you could like it. You just got to give it a chance, ok?" She pulled back and looked him in the face, brushing the hair out of his face. He looked back at her with that serious expression she had gotten used to.

"K." he said, giving her a ghost of a smile. A bell rang in the distance and Lou began raving about the time of orientation. Cole picked up his bag, heading for the school's entrance. He turned back once, but his parents had already boarded the bus and it was pulling away.

Bev cried the whole way home.


	8. Cole Part 2

_Part 2_

Cole downed the boba tea in one go, turning his attention back to the letter he was writing. The bartender wiped out a glass and shook his head.

"Slow down, sport…you'll choke on a boba…"

Cole smiled slightly, not looking up from the letter as the Bartender continued.

"Though, from what I heard, you aint really one for going slow, huh? Imagine a kid your age, beating all the other racers up that mountain…"

"You heard about that already?" Cole finally spoke, still not looking up.

"Sure did. Word travels fast in pubs, don't you know? What I don't get is why you don't got the big trophy with ya, if you really did win."

"I don't do it for the trophies." Cole said, starting a new paragraph. "I do it for the challenge. Besides, best to travel light…I don't need a bunch of worthless trophies weighing me down…"

"Don't ya got folks you could send them home to? They could put em all up…"

Cole stopped writing, clenching his jaw. For a moment he imagined a bunch of mountain-climbing trophies and weight-lifting medals next to Lou's dancing ones…but then he shook his head.

"Don't got folks?" the bartender asked, feeling as though he might have stuck his foot in his mouth on this one. Cole continued writing.

"Nah, I got folks….it's just they…well…."

"Probably just prefer the writing," the Bartender said, nodding at the letter. "That's who the letter's for, right? Letting them know all about it I bet, so's they can be proud of ya…"

"Something like that." Cole muttered, finishing up the letter and folding it up before rummaging through his bag for an envelope.

"Need a stamp?"

"No, I got a few. What I could really use right now is a new challenge…" Cole replied, finishing off the address on the front and applying a stamp. He slipped it into his bag, ready for when he ran into the Postman next. He glanced at the opened letters in that pocket of his bag…his father had written every month. There were 13 total.

The Bartender scratched his beard. "A challenge, eh? What kinds do ya generally look for?"

Cole shrugged, zipping the bag closed as he looked back at the bartender.

"Anything that requires a lot of strength."

The bearded man sized the boy up. He couldn't be much older than 15 or 16, but he did have a strong look about em.

"Can't think of much around these parts…" he looked over and noticed a flyer on the pub's announcement board and snapped his fingers.

"Eh, here's just the thing…it's a ways away, but they're having a contest in the next few days—climbing up the tallest Mountain in Ninjago. You done that yet, kid?"

Cole took the flyer that the man passed to him.

"No…can't say that I have…" he looked up at the man. "Where's it at?"

The bartender gestured at the paper before moving to start cleaning Cole's empty cup.

"Should all be on the flyer…"

Cole smiled and studied the flyer for a few more minutes before stuffing it into his bag. He slung it over his shoulder and went to move off the barstool.

"Thanks."

"Hold up, lad…"

Cole turned back towards the bartender, confused. The bearded man was pulling something out from behind the counter.

"If ya aren't gonna keep the trophy…at least lemme treat you to a slice of congratulatory cake! On the house."

He plopped the plate in front of Cole, and the boy's face lit up.

"Well…I think that sounds like a good enough deal…"

He started digging into the cake and almost didn't notice the door open and slam. It wasn't until someone tapped his shoulder that he turned to see who it was.

"Letter for ya." the Postman said, handing him a yellow envelope. Cole tried to say something, but his mouth was full of cake. He held up a finger for the postman to wait and pulled out his own letter and handed it him. The postman raised an eyebrow at the chocolaty fingerprint now decorating the edge of the envelope, but just nodded and stuck it in his bag before heading back out of the pub.

Cole swallowed, looking at the letter. He was just going to stick it in his bag and read it later, but it struck him as odd. His father had already sent a letter this month…that's what Cole had been replying to. What on earth could Lou have to say? He felt a jolt of panic….what if his parents had gone to visit Marty's…or were _planning_ on a visit?

He ripped the envelope open, and the Bartender frowned in curiosity.

"Word from your folks?" he asked, but Cole didn't answer as he scanned the letter. The Bartender watched as the boy's face went from confused to shocked to horrified. He stuffed the letter in his bag and jumped from the stool.

"Oi…not even gonna finish your cake?" the Bartender asked as Cole rushed for the door, but the youth didn't reply as he disappeared out into the night.

Cole hopped off at the bus stop and headed to his house, heart pounding. Despite his urgency, he hesitated at the door. Should he just walk in? He knew his father hated it when he did that…but he shrugged off his reservations and threw open the door. Lou was in the kitchen and turned in surprise.

"Cole! What are you doing here?"

Cole had the yellow envelop in his fist, and he held it up as explanation. Lou sighed slightly.

"You…got my letter…"

"Where's Mom? Is she ok?"

"She's resting in the bedroom…" Lou started, but Cole was already rushing past him towards the back of the house.

"You forget how to use a doorbell, son?" Lou called after him, but Cole just ignored him.

He stopped dead at his parents' open door.

"… _Mom?"_

It was worse than he imagined. His mother opened her eyes and turned towards him but her normally bright eyes were dull, and her skin was sallow with dark circles under her eyes.

"Hey honey…" she said quietly, but Cole remained rooted to the spot in shock. His father came up to stand next to him and Cole turned on him angrily.

"Why didn't you write me sooner? Why on _earth_ would you keep this from me?!"he said, only barely able to keep himself from yelling. His father gave him a disapproving look.

"Oh, hardly home for five minutes and you've _already_ managed to make everything _my_ fault, have you?"

"You should have written me the second you knew that she was sick!" the youth retorted, voice rising.

" _Cole."_

It was his Mom who spoke, and Cole and his father calmed down at the sound of her tired voice. She fixed her son with a determined look.

" _I_ asked him not to tell you…"

" _Why_?" Cole's tone was quiet as well…but also bitter.

Bev tried to push herself up and Lou moved to help her. When she was sitting upright she sighed and looked back at Cole.

"We…I didn't think it was worth worrying you. In the beginning especially I thought I'd just pull through and I didn't want to distract you from your education…"

"Wait." Cole interrupted, looking sick. "What do you mean you _thought_ you'd pull through…"

He looked at his parents' expressions as they made eye contact and shook his head. "Are you…are you _not_ going to make it?! How long have you been sick?!"

A tea kettle screamed out in the other room and Lou excused himself to go get it. Bev patted the spot next to her in the bed and Cole finally moved out of the doorway, coming over to sit next to her.

Beverly licked her lips, seeming to be trying to figure out what to say.

"I guess technically I've been sick since before you left. Back then it was just dizzy spells…feeling tired…I didn't think much of it. But over the last year…" her voice trailed off as she began coughing. Cole swallowed hard. He hadn't ever even considered that his mother might be sick, but suddenly he could see all the signs. All the days she had to take a few hours to rest…the times she missed performances because she claimed she wasn't feeling well. The tired look she had seemed to carry more and more…

"If it's that bad, why aren't you in the hospital?" he finally asked quietly.

She reached over and squeezed his arm, trying to give a little smile.

"Oh…well…I was…."

"You were in the hospital?!"

She sighed, "Cole…"

"Then why aren't you still there?!"

"There's…well, there's nothing more that they…"

"NO." Cole had stood, pulling his arm away. He ran his hand through his hair before turning back to face her. "If it was as bad as all that, you should have told me about this a long time ago!"

"Cole, please try to understand… I…I didn't want to make…"

" _Actually_ ," Cole continued, voice rising again as he cut her off. "If it was as bad as all that you should have never _sent_ _me away_ in the _first place!"_ He stormed out of the room and a few moments later Beverly heard the back door slam shut. She sighed and sank back into her pillows as Lou came in with a steaming cup of tea. She took a sip and coughed, and Lou reached out to support the cup in her trembling hands.

"He's mad," she said simply, and Lou smiled slightly.

"He'll come around. He usually does."

Cole pushed the door open quietly, as to not wake his parents. Even in the moonlight he could make out his mother's ashen skin and gaunt face. He let out a shaky breath and closed the door again. He made his way over to the couch in the dark living room and sat, supporting his head with one hand as his shoulders shook.

Lou woke up to the smell of cooking eggs and blinked in surprise. He pulled himself out of bed and wandered into the kitchen where Cole was busy making breakfast.

"Where did you learn to cook?" Lou asked, surprised. Cole jumped, and nearly dropped the pan of eggs he was holding. He turned back to his dad.

"Oh, you know…picked it up at school…"

"But…they have a _cafeteria_ at Marty Openheimers…"

" _Yes._ They do. But…um…they also are making us all take a few life skills classes…you know."

"Ah," Lou said, not questioning it further. He took a bite of eggs and frowned as he swallowed. "You…aren't passing those classes, are you?"

Cole flushed as he took a bite of the eggs as well. "They taste fine to me…what's wrong with them?"

"You forgot to season them…with anything…" Lou pointed out, sprinkling salt on his and Beverly's plate. After picking out a few eggshells he went to pick it up to take it back to his wife, but Cole stopped him.

"Hey Dad…let me…"

Lou nodded and Cole took the plate from him and headed back to his Mom's bedroom. Beverly was still sleeping and Cole went and sat on the other side of the bed while he waited for her to wake up. After a few moments the warm eggy smell roused her and she blinked up at him.

"Good morning, Mom…" Cole said awkwardly, setting the plate and fork down so he could help her sit up.

"Good morning…." she said breathlessly. After she was situated he put the plate in her lap and handed her the fork.

"Sorry, if they aren't any good…" he started, but she just laughed. For a moment, he saw that familiar twinkle in her eye.

"No problem…I can't taste very well anymore anyways."

It was supposed to make him feel better, but he just looked away. She started eating, but was only able to get a third or so through the eggs.

"I can't eat as much anymore either," she said apologetically as Cole took the dishes from her. He nodded absently before clearing his throat.

"Mom?" She looked up at him, but he didn't meet her eye. "I'm sorry…about yesterday. I shouldn't have…I mean, I didn't mean…" he trailed off and she put a thin hand on his arm. He sighed and finally looked up at her.

"I guess I'm just scared, Mom. But I shouldn't have taken it out on you, and I'm sorry…"

"Oh, honey, it's ok…" she said with a small smile. "I…I should have told you sooner. I know that now. I just wanted to believe that I'd get better…I didn't want to worry you…"

Cole swallowed and looked away as his eyes swam with tears. "But…you _could_ still get better…"

She didn't answer and he cleared his throat before moving to take the dishes back into the kitchen.

Bev rested her head on Cole's shoulder, and he adjusted the blanket.

"If it's too cold out here…" he started, but she just chuckled.

"I'm fine Cole…it's the middle of summer. Besides…you have no idea how much I've missed the stars…"

She had mentioned as much a few hours before, so Cole moved one of their couches out to the patio and insisted on taking her outside to look at them. She hadn't thought he'd be able to lift her, but he was stronger than she expected. Cole, on the other hand, was surprised at how light his mother was, and it just made the knot of nausea inside twist tighter.

Now they sat with a blanket staring up at all the stars visible on the cloudless night.

"Is Dad gone most nights?" Cole finally asked. Beverly smiled slightly.

"Quartet Practice…" she murmured and Cole frowned.

"Even with you like this?"

She gave his hand a squeeze.

"Don't judge your father too harshly…all this…it's been hard on him. I told him to keep going to practice. I think it helps him cope…"

Cole didn't respond, but he felt a little seed of resentment at the fact that his father left his sick mother alone for several hours every day.

Beverly reached a shaky hand and brushed his hair out of his eyes.

"You are due for a haircut…" she tutted. She looked at him for a few minutes longer and finally shook her head.

"It's only been a year…but it looks like you've grown so much. They must be working you hard at Marty's."

His jaw clenched. "Yeah. Yeah, they do…"

"Do you like your classes?" she asked. "What was it again, that you said you were taking? In your letters…I can't seem to remember…"

"Ummm…" Cole did a quick recount in his mind. "History of dance, 'When to use Allegro', and…and tap-dancing."

"I thought you did tap dancing last semester?" Bev said sleepily.

"Welll…I just thought I'd take it again." Cole said lamely. His mother smiled.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it Cole….you have many friends?"

Cole had a sudden flashback to standing alone on a stage in front of a jeering crowd of peers after a less-than sub-par singing performance. He winced slightly and shook the memory from his mind.

"Yeah…I mean, we don't get to hang out a whole lot, cuz of…of practices and stuff…"

He hated lying to his mother…but what was he supposed to do? Tell her that he only attended the school for two days before taking off and roaming Ninjago on his own for the last 13 months?

"I'm glad." Bev said again. "I was so afraid that you'd hate it…"

Cole didn't reply, looking up at the stars. A few moments later Bev began coughing violently and Cole looked at her in distress.

"Mom…are you ok?" he asked, helping her drink from a bottle of water. She tried to reply but just coughed harder. He stood and bundled her in the quilt before scooping up her frail form and taking her back inside. She finally managed to catch her breath.

"I'm fine…I'm ok, Cole…"

"I shouldn't have taken you outside…" he said regretfully. She shook her head slightly.

"Didn't have anything to do with it…I cough inside just as easily as outside…" she whispered. He made it back to the bedroom and tucked her back into bed. He pulled up a chair next to her so he could be there in case she needed anything.

After breathing slowly for a few minutes she looked back over at him.

"Do you…remember that song I used to sing you…when you were little?"

Cole smiled a little.

"You sang lots of songs…" he pointed out and she let out another breathy chuckle.

"Yes…but I mean the lullaby? The one I'd sing when you were scared of the thunder…"

Cole nodded, not saying anything.

"Will you…sing it to me?" she asked. He looked away.

"Ah…Mom, you know I don't sing well…"

"But after a year at Marty's I'm sure you've improved more than you think!" she argued. She swallowed and held out a hand. "Please?"

Cole sighed and gave her a sad smile in reply before taking her hand. He sang quietly for the next five minutes or so until she fell asleep, and if she noticed that his voice had not actually improved at all she didn't mention it. He didn't let go of her hand, and when Lou returned an hour later he found them both asleep in the same position.

It had been hard enough to see his mother in the state she was in…watching as she declined further was excruciating. Cole watched as his father applied another cold cloth to his mother's forehead.

"Shouldn't we call a doctor?" he asked, and his father's mustache trembled a little.

"They gave us some fever medicine…but besides that, there isn't much they can do."

Cole dry washed his face; by now, his family all had matching dark circles under their eyes.

"Isn't there _anything_ we can do?" he asked, voice breaking. His father looked over at him, and Cole realized that his father was crying. It wasn't like he had never seen his father cry…he was quite a sensitive person when it came to a perfectly choreographed dance or a moving song. But he realized he had never seen his father heartbroken. Lou stood up, clearing his throat.

"I'm going to go into town…see if the doctor recommends anything more. Keep changing this cloth…" he instructed, and Cole stood wearily to take his Dad's place in the chair by the bed.

About half an hour after Lou had left, Beverly opened her eyes. They were unfocused for a moment, but as Cole reached out and took her hand she looked up and recognized him.

"Oh Cole…"

The youth was shocked when she started crying.

"I'm…I'm so _sorry…_ "

"Mom…shhh, Mom it's _ok,"_ Cole swallowed, not sure what was going on. He realized it was possible that his mother was reaching some kind of delusional point. He put a comforting hand on her face. "You don't need to be sorry mom, it's ok…you don't need to apologize for anything…"

She cried harder and he finally sat on the bed so he could pull her up into a hug, trying to shush her.

"I couldn't…protect you…" she said in between breaths. "I…I couldn't stop him…"

"It was just a dream Mom, it was just a dream…" Cole whispered. Inside he was panicking; she had never seemed delirious before. Was she reaching the final stages?"

"No…" she swallowed and seemed to compose herself as she looked up at him. "No…there's something I have to tell you…"

He looked down, waiting, as she opened her mouth to say more. But as she studied his face he noticed a bit of fear in her expression. She finally shook her head, crying again.

"I…just wanted…you to be happy…" she sobbed. Cole swallowed as he held her closer, trying to clear the emotion from his own throat.

"I _am_ happy, Mom…I am…I'm happy…" he whispered. After a few more minutes she finally calmed down, and he felt her relax.

She looked up at him again with exhausted eyes.

"I love you, Cole…"

"I love you too Mom." He said, and he couldn't keep the tears from escaping that time. In a few more minutes she had fallen back asleep and he sighed as he lowered her back into bed and replaced the cool head-cloth that had fallen to the ground with a new one. He smoothed the wet hair out of her face so he could put the cloth on her forehead, hands shaking as he cried.

"I love you too."

The fever broke the next morning, but she was weaker than ever before. That night Lou and Bev sent Cole to get some quality sleep in a real bed. He fought against it, but finally obliged when his mother insisted. Alone in their room, Bev and Lou sat close together, neither wanting to speak. It was almost easier to just pretend that everything was ok…as insane as it was to do so. Bev finally broke the silence.

"It's going to be soon, Lou…" she said, her voice barely a whisper. His arm tightened around her as his mustache twitched.

"...I know, Bev…I know."

It took her a few moments to get her breath back. "You're the love of my life, you know…"

He sighed heavily, looking over at her with a shaky smile.

"Oh…I loved you from the first time I saw you…on that stage at Marty's. I don't know what I'll do without you, Bev…" his voice broke and he cleared his throat. "Dancing won't even be the same…"

She clutched his hand tighter.

"Now, don't you dare give up dancing…" she joked quietly, and he kissed her forehead in reply.

The next night, with Cole firmly planted back in the armchair by their bed, she finally let go.

 _Part 3_

There were more people at the funeral than Cole actually knew. He came to find out that many of them were old friends from his parent's days at Marty's. There was one tense moment when the Headmaster of Marty Openheimer's…Marty Openheimer, the third, to be exact…came to give Lou his condolences. Cole was sure that he and his father would talk about him and that his secret would be out, but instead Marty wandered off to talk to a few more Alumni and Lou headed back over to talk to his quartet members. Cole was leaning up against a tree, mainly just watching everyone else talk. A few adults and even some old neighborhood kids tried to chat to him, but after a few moments each realized that he really didn't feel like talking and wandered away.

As Cole scanned the gathered crowd, feeling empty and wooden, he noticed that there seemed to be someone else on the outskirts avoiding talking to anybody. In fact, after observing the man for a few minutes, it looked like he was trying to not even be _seen_ by anybody. His face was worn with lines, and his untidy brown hair was lined with grey. He had thick stubble and was wearing some kind of dented metal armor. Cole frowned….the man almost looked familiar, but he had no idea where he had seen him before. The gruff looking stranger suddenly glanced up and met his eye. Cole's first thought was that he should look away, but he didn't. The man slowly nodded at him and then turned to go. Within moments he had disappeared. Cole shuddered suddenly; he didn't know who the man was, but for whatever reason his visit had left him feeling strange. He stayed up against the tree until most of those who had come had wandered away. Eventually it was just him and his dad, and he approached his father as he knelt next to the gravestone and freshly dug earth. Lou turned at the hand on his shoulder.

"Let's go home, Pop."

Cole woke up to a door slam. He got out of bed, groggily, trying to figure out where his Dad would be going at this hour. He made it out the front door in time to see his father walking briskly down the street.

"Dad?"

Lou stopped and turned at his voice.

"Ah…sorry to wake you son…"

"Where are you going?"

"Quartet Practice, Cole…we have a performance coming up in a month and we…"

" _Practice?_ " Cole was incredulous. They had just buried his mother yesterday…and his father was getting up early to go to _singing practice_?

"Yes…we'll talk more tonight, alright son? I can't be late…."

With that Lou turned to make his way to the performance Hall, with Cole still frozen in shock by the door.

Lou walked into the house late that night to find Cole asleep upright on the couch. The performer sighed…no doubt his son had been trying to wait up for him. It looked like Cole had been crying…he turned his attention to a plate of food that Cole left on the table. He took a taste and winced. He looked over to make sure Cole was still asleep before scraping the dinner into the trash and putting the dish in the sink. He turned back to his son; he should wake him…he promised they'd have a talk. But it had been such a long day. He looked away from the figure on the couch and made his way back to his bedroom. He'd talk to Cole tomorrow.

Cole finished the rest of the dishes with a sigh. He went to put the towel away and bumped one of the mugs. He watched in tired annoyance as it fell and smashed to pieces on the ground before going to get the broom.

The door opened and Lou rushed in.

"It's about time…you were supposed to be home a…" Cole started, but Lou rushed past him, disappearing into the back of the house.

"Cole…right, sorry I'm late…" his voice came from his bedroom. "Have you seen my songbook?"

Cole walked over to the hallway, still holding the broom.

"…Why?" he asked tiredly. Lou pushed past him again, headed back to the living room.

"I had a new song in there…we have to start learning it tonight but I left my book…" he said, pulling cushions off the couch.

"Wait…you're leaving? Again?!" Cole asked, his tiredness giving way to anger.

"Well…I should be back by 11…" he said. "Aha! There it is!" He held the songbook aloof, not noticing his son glowering at him.

"Dad, you can't keep _doing_ this!" he yelled, but Lou had already left and the door slammed in response. Cole rubbed his temple with one hand, the other still holding the broom. He made his way over to broken mug, sweeping it up and throwing it away before making his way into the living room. After replacing the couch cushions, he sat heavily. He had spent the last year on his own…but this was a different kind of loneliness. He felt empty, and he rested his head in his hands as the light faded from the windows.

"Dad."

Cole stood in the doorway of Lou's room, arms folded. Lou scoured through his wardrobe, yanking his mustache.

" _Dad."_

 _"_ Have you seen my suit? My new one?"

Cole sighed. "Did you ever pick up the dry-cleaning?"

Lou finally turned to look at him.

"Drycleaning…right. I was supposed to do that…" he yanked on his mustache again. "I really have to get to practice…I don't suppose you could pick it up…"

"No…I _can't."_ Cole said, voice hard. Lou frowned at his expression.

"Alright…I suppose I'll just have to get it tomorrow….after practice…"

 _"POP."_ Cole snapped. "You can't keep spending all your time at _practice_!"

Lou straightened his bow tie in the mirror on his wardrobe door.

"You _know_ we have a performance next week, Cole…"

"And that's what matters right now?! Your _performance?!"_

"Cole, calm down. You're being…."

"What, Dad? I'm being _what_?!"

"Immature!" his father snapped, turning to him again. "This is what the real world is like, son…if you want to accomplish anything, you have to _work_ for it!"

"This isn't about working for something, Pop…this is about…about _forgetting!"_

"I don't have time for this," Lou said, heading towards the front door again.

"Time for what?!" Cole yelled after him, but Lou didn't answer as he turned the door handle. Cole shook his head.

"I can't keep doing this Dad…one of these days, you're going to get home and I'm gonna be gone…"

Lou's hand froze on the doorknob and he swallowed.

"Of course…." he finally said. "I've been selfish."

Cole's angry stance relaxed as he looked at his father, stunned. Lou turned slowly so he could face him.

"You've been away from school too long…of course you should go back and finish your education…"

Cole stiffened once again. "That's _not_ what I…"

"I'll be fine, son, honest….you don't need to stick around just for me. It's time for you to go back to building your future and making our family name proud." He turned back and opened the door.

" _Pop…"_

Cole's tone was pleading now, but Lou didn't even seem to notice as he headed out into the night, the door once again closing behind him. Cole clenched his fists and turned back to go to his room. He yanked his duffel bag from the corner it had been thrown in and began stuffing clothes back into it. He heard something crinkle, and he looked back in his bag. He fished out the flyer he had gotten from the bartender weeks earlier.

 _Come climb the Tallest Mountain in Ninjago! Not for the amateur or faint of heart! The most challenging climb there is!_

The contest was past, but Cole wasn't in it for the trophy anyways. He stuffed the flyer back into his bag and zipped it closed before slinging it over his shoulder. He made his way back to the front door and looked around the darkened home one last time. A few minutes later he was on his way out of town, having realized that running away was always easier when he had a destination in mind.


	9. Zane

_Part 1_

Able tromped through the snow. He had been hoping to make it back to the inn before it got dark, but the sun seemed bent set against him. The pack on his back was heavy, full of logs he had chopped in the birch forest. It had started to snow, and it was becoming difficult to see. Had he not walked this trail nearly all his life he would've been scared of getting lost.

He caught something moving in his peripheries and turned to make sure it wasn't any kind of beast. These woods had all kinds. Instead, he saw what looked to be…a kid? He shook his head. Were his eyes playing tricks? What was a kid doing out here?

Curiosity got the best of him and he made his way over.

"You lost? I haven't seen you in these parts before…"

The blonde was wearing some kind of white jumpsuit; if it weren't for his black gloves it would be hard to make him out in the snow at all. He looked up calmly.

"I am not sure. I know where I am…but not where I come from."

Able scratched his head. "You saying you meant to be out here?"

The kid looked around. "No…well, yes? I am trying to remember where it was I came from."

Able shook his head. "You got a name, kid?"

The strange boy thought for a minute before answering. "I believe my name is Zane."

"You _believe?_ What, you aren't sure?"

"No." Zane looked up to him with an almost expressionless face. "I am not sure."

Able had no idea who this kid was, or what his _deal_ was…but it was getting dark and his wife was going to wonder what was keeping him. He needed to leave, but he couldn't really leave this strange boy out here in the freezing cold. He wasn't even wearing any kind of coat, though he didn't seem to be bothered. His wife wasn't gonna want to take in some charity case, though…

He turned to the kid again.

"Got a place to stay?"

Zane shook his head.

"Can you cook? Chop wood?"

"I can do most anything." Zane answered almost automatically. Able shrugged, willing to test out the claim.

"C'mon, then."

Zane chopped up the last of the potatoes, scraping them into the pot with excellent efficiency. A stout auburn-haired lady standing nearby shook her head.

"Thought you said you didn't know how to make stew…"

"I read the recipe," Zane answered matter-of-factly. He got working on the onions. Marissa shook her head again.

"You _glanced_ at it…for like thirty seconds. No way you memorized it that fast…"

Able came into the kitchen, warming his hands near the stove.

"Who chopped all that wood outside?" he asked, though he figured he knew.

Zane didn't turn as he spoke. "I did. It's going to get colder these next few nights…and the snowfall during the next few days will make it hard to get out to the woods…"

"And how on earth do you know _that?"_ Marissa asked. Zane paused his chopping, frowning. He finally turned to them.

"I do not know how…but I _do_ know it."

Able rubbed his hands, still trying to get warmth in them. Zane had been there for several days now, and he had made himself extremely useful. But the inn-keeper had to admit, the kid was very odd and had this uncanny sense about him. He shuddered slightly.

"Gloves lined with wool will keep you warmer," Zane commented, finishing the last of the onions before scraping them into the pot.

The sound of bird-call caused Zane to stop shoveling the walk. He looked up and smiled as he saw geese flying by in their V-formation. A few customers at the inn passed by.

"See ya, Zane. Keep your head outta the clouds, eh?" One said, giving him a friendly smile. Zane cocked his head.

"Oh. I will try…" he said, sounding a little confused. The man shook his head, and his companions laughed.

"Such an odd one…." Zane heard one of them say, but he didn't mind much. He was different…but _everyone_ was different from each other. He didn't let his specific differences bother him too much. He looked back and watched as another flock of geese came into view.

"Thought you'd be finished with this walk by now, knowing you…" Able said, joining the blonde kid. He noticed where Zane was looking and scratched his head.

"Everyone knows birds are dumb…so I never really understood how they learned to fly in those alphabet shapes…"

Zane could have corrected him, but he was too busy watching as the last of the geese disappeared from view. His smile faded.

"Perhaps their brains are small…but at least they know where home is."

 _Part 2_

Zane noticed the streamers in the distance on his way back to the Inn after collecting wood. He asked Able about them as he entered.

"Eh, they're hanging them up already?" Able asked, scratching his chin. His wife rolled his eyes a few yards away.

" _Course_ they are, Able! The festival is only three days away!"

"Is it really?" Able chuckled to himself, grabbing a few logs from Zane's pile to go stock the burners in the upstairs rooms. "It seems to have snuck up on me again…"

"A festival?" Zane asked, a little puzzled. "What kind of festival?"

Marissa shook her head. "You mean to tell me you lived around these parts and you haven't even been to the Winter Festival? It's the only thing to look forward to in this miserable season!"

Zane wanted to point out that he found Winter to be quite beautiful…there was a certain symmetry and solace to all the snow and ice and it left him with a comforting feeling. But he had learned that Marissa didn't appreciate his thoughts and Able didn't always understand them, so instead he just said "No…I haven't."

"Knead faster, boy! We've got to get another 200 whipped out before we can head over to the festival!" Marissa snapped, and Zane quickened his pace, though he knew that this would only lead to further tension in the dough and create an elasticity that was less than perfect for creating sticky buns.

"Will we really need so many?" he asked as he finished kneading and began rolling out dough balls.

"Yeah…these sell real well every year. They're the perfect combo with a nice mug of cocoa or a cup of spiced tea…"

Marissa trailed off and Zane noticed a nostalgic look in her eye. He smiled to himself; as short-tempered as the Inn-keeper was, he never took offense to it. There was no reason to, really.

"What you smiling at, boy?" she asked. She never did call him by his name, and Zane had yet to really figure out why.

"Nothing…I guess I am just excited."

They worked for another hour, shoving trays of buns in and out of the large oven in the kitchen. Despite the chill outside, Marissa was wiping sweat from her brow.

"That's the last of them…then we can head down and meet Able at the festival grounds."

Zane carefully wrapped the batch that had just come out of the oven.

"What all goes on at the festival?"

"Oh, there's plenty of treats and trinkets to buy, and games for the little ones…heck, there's games for us adults as well!" she said with a laugh. "And they always have ice skating on the pond…"

Here Zane frowned.

"I'm not sure it's been cold enough recently for ice on a pond to be thick enough for…"

"Ah, here you go again." Marissa scoffed, swatting him over the top of his head. He rubbed the spot, though his expression didn't change as she continued. "You and your _sensing_ stuff. Pond's always frozen solid this time of year, don't matter _what_ the weather's been like. All's you've got to worry about is _not dropping those buns, ya hear?"_

He nodded, though he still wasn't convinced. He hefted up a large tray of buns while Marissa picked up the other and they headed off towards the festival.

Zane couldn't help but stop walking so he could take it all in. A large field had been cleared, and booths and banners and streamers were scattered everywhere. Dozens of warm, spiced, and rich smells mingled together while the sound of children laughing filled the air. He smiled.

"Hey, boy! Don't be dawdling! Our booth's this way!"

Marissa's voice snapped him back to his task, but he noticed her smiling. She must have been enjoying all the same things he was.

Able waved at them from an empty booth. He had decorated it with streamers and laid a big quilt from the inn over the table. Marissa put the trays of sticky buns out on the quilt and attached the price sign securely to a post on the booth.

"Quite the turnout this year, eh?" Able asked. He was smiling as well; it was clear this festival was something that the people looked forward to each year. Zane found himself looking across the field and was surprised at the tap on his shoulder. He looked up at Able, who slipped a few coins into his hand.

"Eh…why don't you go enjoy yourself, Zane?" he said with a smile. Zane looked down at the money and back up at him.

"Are…are you sure?" he stammered and Able winked.

"Sure…" he lowered his voice, mock-conspiratorially. "Just don't tell, Marissa, k?"

Zane glanced over at the Innkeeper's wife, and he was pretty sure she already knew. She was rolling her eyes and shaking her head as she removed the tray coverings…but she was also smiling.

"Thank you." Zane said sincerely, and Able gave his back a slap to tell him to get on out there. Zane found himself wandering from booth to booth, enjoying taking in all the sights and smells. A few people recognized him from the inn and they waved or called him over to see or taste something. He had a hard time picking what to spend his money on, but he came across a booth selling thick hot chocolate and another selling wool lining for gloves. He carried the cup of steaming chocolate, content to sip it slowly and watch the people all around him. Smaller children were playing some kind of game with blocks of wood and dowels that they threw at them. The Adults were gathered in groups to joke and laugh and gossip. He noticed a group of older kids tying on skates to go out onto the pond. His smile faded as he wandered over to the pond.

He never was sure where the thoughts came from…the "senses" that Marissa had described. But he knew that this ice wasn't going to be thick enough for people to skate on. Small children, maybe…but not anyone over a certain weight….

He headed back over to Able and Marissa's booth.

"Spent all that money already?" Marissa asked sternly, shaking her head at the thought of it. Zane could tell she wasn't really upset though. He turned to Able, who was asking him what he bought.

"Oh." Zane said, looking down at the hot chocolate in his hands. "Well, this…and some wool linings for your gloves…" he handed them to Able, who looked down in surprise.

"Zane…that money was for _you_ to get stuff ya wanted, not to go buying stuff for me…" he chided gently, but Zane shrugged.

"They'll help keep your hands drier…" he trailed off as he remembered the reason he had come over. "Able…that ice, it's not going to be thick enough for people to skate on…"

"Oh, it's alright Zane, it's always frozen this…"

"I _know_ it isn't." Zane insisted, and Able trailed off, looking at the youth. He had to admit, Zane's strange thoughts were odd…but he couldn't recall a time when the lad had been wrong.

"Well…maybe I'll just go have a chat with…"

A scream broke out from the pond, and the three of them whipped around. A teenage girl was wobbling on her skates in the middle of the pond while the smaller children were either skating away as fast as they could or trying to get close enough to help. Though it was hard to see what was happening, it was clear by the girl's panicked yells for help that the ice beneath her was cracking and breaking.

"Oh no…" Zane said, before taking off running.

"Zane!" Able called after him. "What…where are you… _Zane!"_

Zane quickly determined the edge of the pond that would land him closest to the girl and began inching his way across the ice. Adults had swarmed the pond to help, but Zane yelled at them to stay back. They would be too heavy.

He sat down on the ice and began to slide himself towards the girl. She was crying now, looking at him while she shook.

"Help…I don't wanna fall…"

"Do not panic." Zane said comfortingly, giving her a smile. "It will be ok…just hold still…try not to move…"

She nodded, twisting one of her braids violently in an effort to keep calm and biting her lip to keep from crying. When Zane had reached a few feet away, he looked around for a spot of ice that felt thicker. He located one and carefully stood up, facing the girl.

"I am going to hold out my hand…and I need to you carefully make your way over to this spot. The ice is thicker…"

"How do you know?" she whimpered. Zane hesitated.

"I…I just do. But it is safe, I promise….just reach out and take my hand…."

The girl was doing so when a man yelled out from the side of the pond. It was her father, and he had just arrived to the scene from where he was helping chop wood for that evening's winter bonfire.

" _MARYANNE!"_ he called in a panic, and the sound of her father yelling caused her to jump and move backwards.

"No, do not go…" Zane tried to warn her, but the thin ice directly behind her broke and she plunged downward, screaming. Zane dove towards her and landed on his stomach. He managed to grab a braid and winced in apology as he used it to yank her back up to the surface. He blocked out the yells and screaming that was coming from those gathered around the pond. Maryanne gasped as she hit air, the shock of the freezing water making it so she couldn't even yell out. Zane grabbed her arms and tried to pull her back up to the ice he was on, but the added weight was adding more cracks to the ice beneath him.

"Do not panic!" he said again, making the teen make eye contact with him. "Keep breathing…kick your legs to propel yourself forward…"

The glazed look in Maryanne's eyes cleared and she began kicking her legs. When she managed to get her middle up onto the ice, Zane pulled her the rest of the way out. She laid there, shaking and coughing, but Zane knew the ice beneath them was not going to hold them both for long.

"Hurry, you need to crawl this way…" he directed. Maryanne carefully got herself up on all fours, shaking as she managed to make her way towards him. He was so focused on her moving forward that he forgot that he was supposed to be moving backwards as well. He felt something shift below him and realized that they were on the same patch of ice, and the weight was too much for it.

He shoved the girl towards the thicker edge ice right as the patch beneath them broke apart and he went tumbling down into the dark, freezing water.

Able watched the proceedings, horrified. He yelled out as the ice broke again and Zane disappeared beneath the surface. He had shoved Maryanne towards the edge, and her father was carefully making his way across the thicker ice to pull her to safety.

The innkeeper was frozen, unsure of what to do. Zane had made his way over the ice in such an expert fashion…he had been able to get Maryanne to safety…but the strange boy still had not surfaced.

"What do we do?" Someone yelled out as another screamed "He's stuck somewhere under the ice! How will we find him?"

Able swallowed hard and took a step out onto the pond. He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't just sit by and let Zane drown. He made it to the second hole in the ice but there was no sign of the lad. He…he couldn't jump in after him…Able had never been a strong swimmer. Besides, the poor lad could be anywhere…

Other people traversed onto the edges of the pond, trying to see if they saw any sign of the kid. None dared to get too close to the middle, which had proven to be so fragile. Some of the villagers had rushed over to get axes so they would be able to cut through the ice if they did happen to find the lad.

"How long's it been?" someone finally called as nobody seemed to be able to locate him.

"At least 6 minutes…" another said, voice grave. Able knelt by the hole in the ice, feeling sick. There was no way the boy could have survived that long…he felt a bitter twist of guilt. He should have listened sooner…should've called out warning to the kids on the ice…

There was a sudden splash as something burst up out of the hole in front of him. Able fell backwards, shocked, and two hands shot out to grab the edge of the ice. Able sat frozen for a few seconds before realizing that Zane was staring at him and saying something. After the shock had worn away he could make it out.

"I need your help…"

Able broke free of the spell, launching forward to pull the youth out of the water. His hands and arms were freezing, but he noticed that the boy wasn't shaking…shouldn't he be shaking? The innkeepers thoughts continued to be a jumble as he managed to get Zane out of the pond and the other villagers pulled them to safety and wrapped them in blankets.

"It's a miracle!"

"How did he manage to hold out for so long?"

"How'd you know what to do, kid?"

"Are you alright? How many fingers am I holding up?"

The villagers swarmed them, and it was Marissa's gruff voice that broke them apart.

"Alright, give em some _space_ already!" she called, and the crowd backed up. She went and hugged her husband and helped him to his feet; he still looked pretty bewildered. Next she fixed an eye on the dripping blonde boy still sitting on the ground, looking up at her.

"We best get you two home." she said finally.

At first, the villagers had seen the event at the pond as some kind of miracle. But as time went on, people began talking more and more about how odd that boy was…and how they never did think he was like other folk. How did he know the ice was gonna break to begin with? How'd he managed to last under there so long? Confusion and lack of understanding led to suspicion and Zane found that fewer and fewer people would talk or chat with him, often giving him long glances. It made him wonder what it was that he had done wrong…should he not have saved that girl? Should he not have resurfaced? He shook the thoughts away; they were ridiculous. He knew that people just didn't always trust what they didn't understand.

He shook himself from his thoughts as he heard something break. He looked over to see that someone had dropped a mug and was trying to clean it up. He headed over with a rag.

"Here, allow me to…" he started, but the man turned around and glared at him.

"You stay away from me, witch-boy!" he snarled, and Zane stopped in his tracks. The man's companion shook his head.

"Always knew he was an odd one…"

Zane knew he wasn't welcome, so he retreated back into the kitchen, troubled. He made himself useful in a corner, peeling potatoes. A few minutes later Marissa came into the back, scrubbing a cup angrily.

"Of all the ignorant, pig-headed…"

Able slammed the burner closed, having refueled it.

"What's wrong now?"

"They're calling him witch-boy… _witch-boy."_ She slammed the rag on the counter. "Zane did nothin' short of saving that girl's life and now everyone's goin' and looking at him sideways…"

Zane paused in his peeling, frowning. It wasn't so much that he minded what people said to him…but he was surprised that other people doing so bothered Marissa so much.

"It'll pass…" Able said comfortingly. "People will forget and the oddness will wear off and they'll find their way back here…"

Zane realized suddenly that they had had a decline in customers over the last few weeks, and it hit him that it was because of _him_ that Able and Marissa were having less patronage. He looked at the two of them and felt sorry.

"Able…Marissa…" he started as he stood. The two innkeepers looked over at him as he continued. "Perhaps…perhaps it's best if I move on…"

"Now, don't let those pig-headed people make you feel uncomfortable, Zane…" Able said, but Zane shook his head.

"It is not their words that bother me…but the fact that my presence is driving away customers is not fair to you…not after everything you have done for me…"

"Zane."

It was Marissa who spoke, and she had the same tight-lipped expression that she always wore when she was going to reprimand him. But suddenly she sighed.

"I don't know how you do that…that sixth sense thing you do. But what I _do_ know is that you haven't really been a lick a trouble the whole time you've been here and you best not think that we'd turn you out just because of some heathen ideals…"

"I know you would not do that." Zane said with a small smile. "But…but it is probably best for me to move on at this point anyways. You see…I still need to discover where I am from." Here he paused. "I still need to discover _who_ I am."

Able looked over at him, seemingly sad, and Marissa sighed again.

"When were you thinking of leaving?" she asked. He thought about it a moment.

"Tomorrow morning I can set off…"

"Tomorrow? That soon?" Able asked. "Don't you think you ought to wait for Spring? It's no good traveling out in the cold…"

"I do not mind the cold much." Zane said truthfully. "Besides…I am afraid that I have put off challenging myself for too long."

Marissa came over and put her hands on his shoulders, looking into his eyes sternly.

"Well…you're free to go as you please…we won't pretend no ownership of ya…" here she gave him a firm look. "But you know you're always welcome here, yeah?"

He blinked and nodded and she gave him a little smile.

"Good lad." she said and pulled him into a hug. It surprised him, but he patted her back. She let go quickly and grabbed her rag again before heading back out to take care of the customers while Able sighed and looked at him.

"Well…I guess we can give you some food and such to take with ya…but besides that, all I can say is I hope that you find what it is you're looking for. I hope you find Home, Zane."

Zane smiled at him.

"Thank you. I…I have a feeling that I will."


	10. Keyda

_Part 1_

She was supposed to be pulling weeds, but the small Oni child had gotten distracted by a butterfly that had landed on a nearby rock. Now she was lying on her stomach, watching its wings open and close. It was red and gold; the colors were striking against the barren landscape and scraggly plants making their way out of the dirt.

Something smacked her on the back of the head and she grunted. She turned and glanced up at the face of her tired and angry father.

"Idiot child; have you gotten anything done at all in the last hour?"

She pushed herself up off the ground, dusting herself off as he father walked away, grumbling and shaking his head. She had known better than to waste time daydreaming, and she shook her head to clear it of the thoughts of wings and flight. She found another patch of weeds and got to work.

* * *

Keyda caught the root vegetable deftly as her mother threw it, collapsing on the step of the door to eat it. It was open, as it always was, to let the breeze through.

"What did Margo say?" her mother asked as she threw another root at Keyda's father. He caught it and shrugged angrily.

"We'll be getting less again for the crops this year. The Baron's turning all efforts towards the dragon-catching colonies…word in the village is he's preparing for war."

"We're _in_ a war…" her mother said testily.

"Something bigger, then." he snapped back. A sudden wind came through the doorway, pushing Keyda's thick unruly hair in front of her face. She shoved it backwards in order to take another bite.

"That mop." Her father's attention was on her again, and he shook his head at the sight of the mass of black sticking every-which way on her head. "We ought to just chop it off…it serves no purpose."

"Nah…that'll only make her look more scrappy than she already is." Keyda's mother pointed out, coming over to pull her hair back into a thick braid. When she finished she nudged the hand that Keyda was still clutching her dinner in.

"Eat up, Keyda. We don't need you any skinnier."

"The next breeze comin's just gonna blow you away." Keyda's father agreed. He looked down at his own half eaten root before tossing it over to her. She caught it, but shook her head.

"Don't want it." She said, trying to give it back. He glared at her.

"No back talk, girl. You're already a weak scrap of a thing. If I'm ever gonna trust you with _real_ work you'll have to have more meat on your bones." He pushed past her to get out of the house, heading towards the fields. She looked at the roots in her hands for a few minutes before shrugging and eating both.

* * *

The screaming woke Keyda up, her dream of red wings evaporating into the night. She sat up, her hair covering her face again and making it hard to see. Her heart beat faster as she heard more screams.

She heard her parents stirring behind her and she got up and ran to the window.

"Keyda, get away," her father's gruff voice cut in. He yanked her away from the window, but not before she had seen the silhouettes of large reptiles and the flames of burning buildings.

"What's going on?"

Her mother's voice was filled with fear, and Keyda trembled on her mat.

"The Baron." Her father said, glancing out the window himself. "We'll have to run…"

"We'll never make it…"

"We don't have a _choice!"_ her father was yelling now, sounding angry. He always sounded angry when he was afraid.

The three of them burst out of the doorway, and Keyda coughed at all the smoke in the air. Her father shook her as they ran; a warning to stay quiet. The screaming had intensified and they saw other figures darting among the buildings. Suddenly, a Dragon landed right in front of them, eyes burning red as it unleashed a scorching rain down on the buildings and Oni in its path. Keyda screamed and they took a sharp turn to avoid the blast. Keyda's vision was fading out as she inhaled more smoke and ash, her running becoming sluggish. She was suddenly aware of someone carrying her…someone with strong arms, but she couldn't quite make it out. It couldn't have been her father…could it?

Suddenly she was on the ground, and there was a sharp pain across her face. Someone dragged her into a corner made of two metal planks and she hunched there, arms around her knees.

" _Stay here!"_

Her mother sounded as firm as always…and Keyda tried to rub the soot out of her eyes so she could see which way the Oni woman had run. But then she was tired…so tired. She put her head on her knees and fell asleep despite the screams.

* * *

The Baron arrived at the scene of destruction, tutting disappointedly. He turned to his right-hand man, who was wearing a thick metal mask.

"Did they even resist? Or did they merely run?"

Heavy Metal raised an eyebrow. "Would you have spared them if they had resisted?"

"No…of course not." The Baron sounded bored. "But it would at least be nice to know that Oni still have some kind of _backbone._ " He jumped off the dragon and kicked a blackened vegetable.

"Degenerate farmers…we have enough vermin in our ranks without these hillbilly holes cropping up over the nation…" he trailed off as he saw something in the distance. Or rather, he sensed something. He put a hand to his eyes; there, among the rubble, was a small child. It was glaring at him… he shook his head in wonder. Anger instead of fear? He snapped his fingers and Heavy Metal looked over at him. The Baron pointed at the child and his right-hand went tromping through the rubble. The scraggly figure tried to dart away, but the Masked Man caught it by the arm and yanked it back towards him. Heavy Metal pulled out his sword, but the Baron rolled his eyes and shouted after him.

 _"Alive…_ if you please."

The Captain of the Guard sheathed his sword, dragging the small figure closer. It wasn't long before he was throwing it at the Baron's feet. Upon closer inspection, the figure was a small girl with a thick head of unruly black hair and an open gash that went across one of her eyes. She had tear streaks in the ashy dust on her face, and the Baron knelt to rub a thumb across one of the streaks, intrigued. She reeled back out of his touch, but Heavy Metal grabbed the back of her neck to make her stay put.

"And what do they call you?" The Baron asked quietly. The glare had all but disappeared…the child was scared now. She wore the same fearful expression he had seen on countless others…but he knew that there was potential here.

She didn't answer at first, but Heavy Metal shook her a bit with the hand on her neck and she glanced up at the Baron.

"Keyda." She said dully.

The Baron smiled at her.

"Ah…my dear Keyda. I think you are going to be very, _very_ useful to me…"

 _Part 2_

Keyda wrapped the cloth around her hands and lower arms. Now that she'd be working out in the sun with dragons, she wanted the least amount of skin showing. She grabbed the faded orange scarf that doubled as a head shawl. She couldn't remember where she had gotten it. Taken from another slave, probably.

She shoved her hair back into it, preparing herself for her first day of dragon-driving. She fingered the long braid that she always plaited next to her face. She had no idea what to expect, but she was sick enough of scouring pots to be accepting of the new job.

She pushed and shoved her way past the other slaves in the cramped quarters. She knew most of their names…though she didn't care to. She had almost made it to the door to the outside when someone stepped in her path. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes and tried to step around the large slave. The cramped pathway made it impossible, so she finally looked up and glared.

"Outta my way, Thom."

"Look who thinks she's so high and mighty?" The large Oni jeered. "Off to train as a Dragon driver, eh? You goin' to war, Keyda?"

" _Outta my way,"_ she repeated, trying to push past. The slaves in the quarters had stopped getting ready, anticipating the entertainment that was coming. Thom shoved her backwards and she tripped on one of the dirty sleeping mats. Her head scarf fell off as she went down.

"I don't think you'd be able to handle them reptiles, do you?" Thom continued. Keyda ignored him, scanning the room for another path to the door. She was faster than this lumbering idiot…she could beat him to it.

"'Specially not with all that ridi'klus _hair…"_

She hadn't been listening; she was about to dart towards the route she had found when she felt herself yanked to her feet by her hair. She screamed and lashed out, but Thom had a good grip.

"Just imagine what'd happen, if the Dragon got hold of this…" he taunted, yanking her around. The Oni around her jeered but she blocked them out. The pain mixed with anger and she clawed at Thom's large arm. He yelled out and threw her against the wall, where she bounced off and landed on her knees.

"Heavy Metal'll 'ear about _tha_ little attack…" Thom hissed, but Keyda just gave him a murderous look before getting to her feet and shoving her hair back into her scarf.

Just then the door that connected to the rest of the fortress slammed open, and Heavy Metal walked in, as if summoned.

"Keyda."

Keyda balled her fists. What did he want _now?_

She finally turned to look at the Masked Man, and he moved his head in a gesture that she knew meant she had to go with him. _Now._

She relaxed her fists and shoulders, resigned, and started making her way over to the door.

"Tell the Baron hi from me…" an Oni whispered loudly from her left, but she ignored him. She reached the door and followed Heavy Metal into the dark corridor, heading to the Baron's office.

* * *

Keyda wanted to point out that Heavy Metal didn't need to guide her to the Baron's office anymore; she had walked this path enough times to know exactly how to get there. But she didn't say anything; they always walked in silence. Now here she was facing the ornate metal door. She swallowed, hesitating. She hoped that the masked man next to her couldn't see her hands shaking. Heavy Metal gave the door two loud knocks.

"Enter."

The Baron sounded bored, and as Keyda and Heavy Metal entered she noticed that he looked bored as well. He perked up slightly when he saw her.

"Ah, Keyda." the Baron smiled, but Keyda just stared at the ground…as slaves were expected to.

"This is the third time in the past few months I've had to summon you here….we really have to do something about that, don't we?"

Keyda didn't say anything, not pointing out the fact that the problem would be solved if he just _stopped_ summoning her. He was waiting, as if he wanted her to respond. She knew he didn't actually want her to say anything, and a minute or so later he continued.

"Food has been going missing from the storage. You know as well as anybody that food is scarce these days. For whatever reason, Farming communities seem to be failing across the nation—they're just going up in smoke." He fluttered his hands for emphasis and Keyda clenched her jaw. She stared at a knot in the wooden floor. She had never known where they had found enough wood to floor this office…but she always stared at that knot when she was in here.

"Anyways…back to the point." The Baron was pushing himself up out of his chair and Keyda tried to keep her breathing even. He only stood when he thought something was a big deal…but she still had no idea where this story was leading.

"With food supplies being so low, we've put some extra guards on the storage." He was walking towards her now, but she stood her ground as he came to stand next to her. "Lo and behold, during the last raid, the person they saw running away was about yay high…" he held a hand up to the top of her head. "…with thick…unruly hair…" his hand brushed the back of her hair on its way down and her fists clenched.

She hadn't done it…and she knew he knew it. She wasn't sure if the guards were lying or if the Baron had made it all up…and she couldn't figure out _why._ Why accuse her of stealing? What could he possibly gain from it?

"Keyda…"

His voice was stern now and she clenched her fists harder to keep them from shaking.

"I want you to _look_ at me when I'm talking to you…"

Was this some kind of trick? Those on the lowest rung weren't supposed to look the higher castes in the eye…especially not the Baron. While she tried to decide the Baron put a soft glove under her chin and forced her head up. He was scanning her face…like he was looking for something. After a few moments he shook his head, looking amused.

"Need I remind you, the day you forget to take orders will be a terrible day for you…" he murmured. She wished he would get to his point. He dropped his hand, and she continued to stare at him as he made his way back over to his desk.

"After all I've done for you, I cannot believe that you would _steal_ from me. I was even considering having you train as a dragon driver…but now that I know I that can't _trust_ you…"

Keyda's heart fell. He was revoking the job change, then. The Baron was tutting to himself, sitting back down. He turned to his right-hand, who was still waiting by the door.

"What should we do with this ungrateful thief, Heavy Metal? Ten lashes?"

The Masked Man didn't say anything…he rarely did. He too had learned that most of the Baron's questions were rhetorical.

The Baron leaned back in his chair. "No…I suppose that was the punishment we gave you _last_ time, wasn't it, Keyda? It didn't work well enough it seems." He put his hands together and pressed his fingertips to his lips. After another minute he looked up. "I suppose since you've been robbing others' hard earned nourishment, you can go without for a few days? Yes…I do suppose that punishment fits the crime." He smiled, a dark gleam in his eye. "Indeed…we _must_ punish the guilty, mustn't we?"

It was like he was waiting for her to say something… _do_ something. But with him on one side and Heavy Metal behind her, what could she do? Those who talked back to the Baron didn't make it out of the office alive.

"I'll trust you to enforcing the punishment, Heavy Metal. Three days without anything to eat for our little reprobate." Here he waved a hand dismissively. "You're both free to go."

Heavy Metal pulled the door open and Keyda turned to leave, her hands shaking in both fear and fury now. Right before she went through the doorway, however, the Baron called out again.

"In light of these circumstances, I've had to deny your Dragon Master Initiation request…once again. Try again next year."

 _Part 3_

The Baron looked down on the courtyard, frowning. Dragon catches were up this month, and they had 6 new Dragon Masters. The army slowly grew…but without the weapon he desperately needed it would hardly make a difference. He rubbed his chin as he watched Keyda enter the courtyard below, carrying two buckets of water and trying to avoid any attention. A large slave purposefully bumped into her and water sloshed out of the bucket. She didn't even seem to notice as she continued on her way, not even giving the bully a backward glance.

"Oh…I was so sure about you…" the Baron murmured as he watched Keyda disappear into another doorway. He had been trying to break her for years, but if anything she had only shut down into herself more, becoming _more_ apathetic. What was it going to take? He hadn't even bothered pulling her into his office for the last few months because nothing seemed to work. It was like she had stopped having hope…

He raised an eyebrow as he thought about it. Perhaps the problem was that he crushed her hopes before she even had a chance to sufficiently raise them. Yes…perhaps that was the solution. She needed the chance to truly want something…to be _so close_ to achieving it…before he took it away. Perhaps it was time to allow her to start initiation after all.

* * *

Keyda cursed in her mind as she lowered her cracked hands into another pot to scour it out. Spending all day washing dishes in the hot and dry air was wreaking havoc on her skin. She grit her teeth and scrubbed so violently that a wave of filthy water came up and splashed her in the face.

"Keyda."

She froze, water dripping from her chin. It couldn't be…

She turned slowly. Sure enough, the Iron Baron himself was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. The other slaves were just as shell-shocked. If the Baron ever needed anything, he sent Heavy Metal. On the rare (or less rare, in Keyda's case) occasion that he wanted to see someone personally, they were summoned to his office. So what was he doing here? What had she done to deserve this?

She realized suddenly that she had been staring at him full on and she could feel the judgement from those around her. She quickly lowered her eyes, but he was beckoning now. She stood woodenly, following him out the door…trying to block out the whispering she could hear cropping up behind them.

They walked quietly for a few minutes in silence, Keyda's heart pounding the entire time. The Baron paused suddenly, and she lurched to a halt beside him.

"One of my favourites…" he murmured. She glanced up at a painting on the wall. It was strange, full of purples and reds and dark horned figures running through smoke and fire, strange purple light swirling around them. She waited for the Baron to speak again, or to punish her, or whatever it was that he wanted so she could get away from him again. He made her wait a few more minutes before turning back towards her. She made sure to keep her eyes down.

"It's been awhile since your last…incident, hasn't it?" he asked blithely. She waited for the catch. What would he punish her for now? Losing Dragons? Causing the latest drought?

"I've been thinking about this for a long time…" he said. He put a hand on her shoulder and she willed herself not to flinch. "You remember that day I found you? I said you'd be useful to me…"

She didn't answer and he gave her shoulder a painful squeeze so she'd look up. He smiled at her.

"Well, I've decided it's finally time to let you prove yourself. After careful consideration, I've decided to allow you to participate in the Dragon Master Initiation trials."

Her whole body sagged in disbelief. _This_ is why he wanted to talk? Why he came down to the kitchen to get her? No…surely there was some condition…some catch…

"The first initiation is tomorrow at the crack of dawn. Do not be late." He paused, suddenly fixing her with an intense gaze as his grip on her shoulder tightened once again.

"Kedya…do not fail me." His tone had more than an edge of threat, and she swallowed.

"I…I won't." she finally said and his face and hand relaxed. He released his hold on her.

"Then I'll see you bright and early…" he said, and she knew she was excused back to the kitchen. She nodded and walked briskly away, leaving him as he continued staring at the painting, an odd smile playing on his lips.

* * *

Keyda heard the dragon roar and stuffed the rest of her lunch in her mouth; she couldn't afford to lose the beast, not when she was so _close._ She stood quickly, making sure the net-thrower was attached to her side with the extra length of rope. She kicked out the small fire she had made and grabbed her spear as she glanced back at the maroon dragon in the distance. He was going at a lazy speed, and she figured she'd have a nice open shot if she could get up one of these formations in time. She picked one out and ran towards it; it had a nice cropping on top that would hide her from the Dragon's sight. As long as the wind stayed in her favor…

She grunted as she hoisted herself up the formation, her spear tied deftly onto her back. She had been tracking the dragon for two weeks now, making this initiation the longest one yet. The first trial dealt with riding a dragon that had already been caught; she'd make a pretty lousy dragon master if she couldn't even do _that._ She had barely managed to subdue the green creature, and the Baron had allowed her to move on to the second trial. That one had been all about survival; she had to stay alive for three days in the wilderness while being actively hunted by actual dragon masters. Staying out of sight and surviving; those had always been her specialty. She had passed with flying colors.

This trial was proving to be the most difficult, however. She had been so close so many times but something always seemed to go wrong. She swore she wasn't the one tipping the dragon off, but something continually spooked it and she was forced to go on the chase once again. She had no idea how long the Baron would allow her to try…it was now or never.

She had reached the top and positioned herself behind the outcropping, her net-launcher at the ready. She watched in confusion as the Dragon suddenly dove downward. Had it found something to eat?

The Maroon beast reappeared over a range of rock formations with something shiny in its grasp. She took aim and when the beast was within range and fired the shot. She felt a thrill of victory as the beast let out a roar and started falling to the ground. However, it was then she spotted something…or was that some _one_ …climbing up the dragon towards the net. She shook her head; what the heck?

The person in dark clothing seemed to be trying to break the net, and she watched in disbelief as the dragon managed to free itself. The figure let out a yell as he went flying through the air near her, and she unconsciously grabbed the extra length of rope, nimbly tying a slip-knot-loop at the end.

"What an _Idiot."_ she muttered, and without thinking she threw the rope.


	11. Kai

_Kai_

Kai fell backwards, splashing in the flooded rice fields. He grimaced as he stood back up, shaking the water off his hands.

"Nice going," Nya smirked from a row away. Kai shook his head at her.

"We shouldn't have to do this anyways…we have a whole blacksmith shop we could be running!"

Nya didn't say anything for a few minutes as she planted a few more rushes from her basket.

"And we will…but the village has made it clear that you have to be a little older…"

Kai scoffed. Ever since their parents had disappeared, the village had taken them in as charity cases. He hated it; life was nothing more than an endless round of _babysitters_ and chores. He wanted to be working for himself… _getting_ somewhere with his own life. They didn't need nannies… he could take care of himself and his sister fine without all this outside "help."

He planted the rice rushes in wavy rows and Nya laughed at his efforts.

"Hey Nya…"

Kai looked up and narrowed his eyes as one of the village boys approached his sister. Nya's smile faded and she looked back down at her work.

" _Nya…"_ the boy tried again, a friend of his nearby for support. "I was wondering if you wanted to come by today…you know…for an ice cream, or something…"

"I'm not really interested, Bill." She answered, still not looking at him. Bill's face fell, but then it became more determined. He handed his own rush basked to his friend and tromped in front of Nya, standing in the way of where she needed to plant hers. She sighed and looked up at him.

"Bill…"

"How do you know you aren't interested, when you won't even give me a _chance?"_ He asked.

"Hey!" Kai had come closer now, giving Bill a look that could kill. "She said she _wasn't interested_ , pea-brain…"

Nya turned and glared at her brother, annoyed at him for getting involved. Bill narrowed his eyes as well.

"I don't believe I was talking to _you,_ porcupine head!"

Kai tromped closer but Nya held her arms out.

" _Enough,_ you two…you're just gonna get us all in trouble." She gave her brother a look that clearly meant _back down_ and he huffed in annoyance.

Bill tore his gaze from Kai and turned back to Nya.

"So…about that ice cream…"

She looked at him, incredulous. "Are you joking? I said _NO_ Bill….not now, not _ever. Stop. Asking._ Now get out of my way, I have rice to plant."

Bill looked like he had been slapped. After a few moments he glared down at her.

"You think you're better than me? Do you think that anyone else is ever gonna want a know-it-all like you? Your own _parents_ didn't even want you!"

Nya decked him before Kai ever got the chance…but it wasn't long before the spiky-haired kid and the tall bully were wrestling in the mud. Bill's friend went scampering away, and soon the adults were involved.

* * *

Nya sat next to her brother. They were both covered in mud as they waited to hear what the punishment would be for this incident.

"You should have just let me handle it." Kai said finally, nursing a fat lip. "You didn't need to…"

"Kai, when are you going to learn that I can fight my own battles?" Nya said. "It's not like guys are just going to stop treating me like that…honestly, men are so _dense…"_

 _"_ Not as long as I'm around." Kai growled, and Nya rolled her eyes. They sat in silence for a bit before Nya spoke.

"Are you sure you don't know what happened to our parents?"

Kai glanced over at her solemn expression and lowered the hand nursing his lip. He cleared his throat as he scooted closer to his sister.

"I really don't, Nya…but what I _do_ know is that they would never have given us up…they loved us a lot. And…and maybe someday we'll finally know what really happened to them.

She sniffed and nodded as if that made sense.

"Yeah…yeah I guess you're right."

Kai exhaled angrily as he looked back down at where the villagers were still planting rice.

"I'm telling you, Sis…once we finally start running our parents' shop things are going to change. We aren't going to have to listen to anyone anymore; we'll be living our own lives and be in charge of _ourselves._ "

"Sure…unless something crazy happens," she teased. He rolled his eyes.

"Like what?"

"I don't know…like _fate."_

He scoffed before turning around to look at the shop on the hill in the distance.

"I'd like to see fate try."

* * *

 ** _Author's Note:_**

 **Well...we've come to the end of the collection. It's been super fun playing around with backstories for different characters, and maybe in the future I'll write more to add to it, but for now this is all of it. Thanks again to all of you who took the time to read all of this and to those who reviewed I really appreciate it :)**

 **-NP**


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